Choi Jaemyeong (최재명)
Choi Jae Myeong (최재명) was a six year old boy who disappeared in 1986 from the Gye-yang District of Incheon, South Korea.. Please contact police, your nearest embassy, or other appropriate officials if you have information that may help in resolving this case.
Details
🧑Identity
Full Name: Choi Jaemyeong
Alternative Name: 최재명, Jaemyeong Choi, Choi Jae Myeong
Case Status: Missing
Record ID#: 0286
*The names “Jane Doe” and “John Doe” are English names used when the person’s true name is not known. If used above, the name refers to a person of unknown identity.
🪪 Description
Date of Birth*: 1979 or 1980
Birthplace:
Age at the Time: 6
Age Group: Child (6 to 9 Years Old)
Biological Sex: Male
Hair: Black
Eyes: Black
Skin Complexion:
Shoe Size:
Ethnicity: Asian
Nationality: South Korea
Languages Spoken: Korean
*If the date says January 1, this is often just a placeholder for an unknown specific date. It usually means “sometime that year”.
💪Physical Build
Physical Build:
Height:
Feet and Inches (ft’ in”)
Centimeters (cm)
Weight
Pounds (lbs)
Kilograms (kg)
👁️ Distinguishing Features
Distinguishing Marks:
Medical Condition:
Physical Abnormality:
Dental Condition:
Scars & Other Marks:
Piercings:
Tattoos:
Other Descriptors:
👕 Possessions
Clothing
Possessions:
The Facts
❓Disappearance
Date of the Disappearance*: January 29, 1986
Description: Choi Jae Myeong’s parents, Choi Bok-gyu (father) and Park Jung-soon (mother), ran a small grocery store in Jakjeon-dong (작전동), Gyeyang-gu (계양구), Incheon. The family home was nearby in the Seomun-dong (서문동) area. On the day of his disappearance (a Wednesday, just before Lunar New Year preparations), the mother sent the boy on a short walk either to their home or to visit his grandmother, which was only a brief distance away across a small stream. He left the store but never arrived or returned. The father was away at the time, handling ancestral rites.
The family began searching immediately when he did not come back by early afternoon. Despite extensive local efforts, no trace of him was found. No witnesses, no body, and no confirmed leads pointing to accident, abduction, or foul play.
The family has searched continuously. The mother, Park Jung-soon, has traveled across South Korea (including Ganghwa, temples like Haeinsa, and Busan) following any possible sightings. The parents have registered DNA profiles in national databases in hopes that Jaemyeong (if alive) or someone recognizing him will come forward. They have a younger son, Choi Jae-ha.
The disappearance occurred right before the a major national holiday, which has created lasting “holiday trauma” for the family. In interviews (e.g., 2019 and 2022), the mother has expressed deep guilt for letting him go alone that day, a persistent hope that he is alive and living in better circumstances, and a simple wish to take one family photo together before it is too late. Public appeals and missing-person posters continue to circulate through organizations, social media, and media features.
No major breakthroughs or resolutions have been reported as of the most recent public updates. The case is one of many long-term missing-child cases from the 1980s in South Korea that remain open.
Multiple Victims?: No
Rumored or Actual Sightings:
*If the date says January 1, this is often just a placeholder for an unknown specific date. It usually means “sometime that year”.
🪦Recovery
Date the Body was Recovered:
Description: Unknown
Time of Death:
Cause of Death:
Recovered Remains (if partial):
Suspected Homicide?:
Multiple Victims?: No
DNA Tested (No Match):
*If the date says January 1, this is often just a placeholder for an unknown specific date. It usually means “sometime that year”.
🚗 Vehicle
Description:
License Plate:
🧑🤝🧑 Key Person(s)
Description:
Location
Address:
City: Gyeyang-gu
Province or State: Incheon
Country: South Korea
Postal Code:
Latitude, Longitude: 37.55869,126.6961985
General Location: Town or City
More Details
Related Cases:
Map of Key Specific Locations:
N/A
Photos
Additional Resources
Contact Police
🏢 Agency: Korean National Police Agency (KNPA)
💻 Website: https://www.police.go.kr/eng/main.do
✉️ Email Address: Unknown
📞 Phone Number (#): 182
⚠️ Emergency Phone Number (#): 112
IDD Prefix: 001, 002, or 00700
Country Code: 82
🔗 Alternative Contact(s):
– National Police Agency’s Center of Missing Persons at Facebook 대한민국 경찰청 or https://www.safe182.go.kr/index.do
Follow & Subscribe:
Disclaimer & Warning
All persons (including family and non-family members) read these case files at your own discretion. Images or details within these files may be graphic or upsetting to readers. If you believe you may be effected, you should not continue further. The information offered through our Services is general information only. We make every effort to maintain the database and ensure the data is up-to-date and correct. However, we make no warranties or promises regarding the accuracy, validity, reliability, availability, or completeness of the data herein. Data is gathered primarily from NGOs, new articles, and Charity postings. This information is not intended for reliance. Under no circumstances will Never Quit Looking or its owners or operators be liable for issues that may result from using or reading this information. Continued use of our Services serves as evidence that you approve our Privacy Policies and Terms & Conditions. Images on this site may be graphic in that they may contain photos of the deceased made public by the coroner or police of the individual post-death in an effort to increase the likelihood of identification. You are forewarned and proceed from this point at your own risk.
Please do NOT copy and paste text from our blog articles. We request that readers be directed to our site instead. This allows us to ensure out-of-date information is not being shared and that readers can access the reference list. If you would like to share a story, you can either use the social media buttons or share a link to this page. The images you are welcome to share.