On March 26, 1991, a public holiday in South Korea, five young boys from a small village near Daegu set out together in search of frog (salamander) eggs in the nearby Mount Waryong area. What began as a simple childhood adventure ended in one of South Korea’s most heartbreaking and unresolved criminal cases.
The boys—U Cheol-won (13), Jo Ho-yeon (12), Kim Yeong-gyu (11), Park Chan-in (10), and Kim Jong-sik (9)—never returned home. As the sun went down and panic rose, their parents began searching the mountain. Despite alerting the police, the initial response was lukewarm. Authorities assumed the children were runaways or simply out playing late.
At that time, the country was focused on its first local elections in 30 years, and news of the missing children barely caught national attention.Growing Desperation, False Leads, and Unanswered Questions
As hours turned into days, the parents became frantic. Soon, over 500 false leads came in, but none helped find the boys. One caller even claimed to have them, asking for ransom, only to disappear without a trace. Theories arose: abduction, foul play, even military involvement, but no one had answers.
A massive search was eventually launched, involving 300,000 police officers and a nationwide campaign backed by donations and public support. But after 11 years, there was still no sign of the boys—until a grim discovery was made.
The Shocking Discovery — 11 Years Later
On September 26, 2002, two men collecting acorns on Mount Waryong made a horrifying find: the remains of all five boys, just 2 kilometers from their homes. The boys’ bodies were found tangled together, initially suggesting they may have died from hypothermia while huddling for warmth.
However, forensic analysis from Kyungpook National University painted a darker picture. Cranial injuries were found on three of the five boys—blows that could have been inflicted by a metal object, indicating intentional murder.
No Justice, Only Grief
Despite further investigation, the killer or killers have never been identified. Theories include possible bullying by older kids, military involvement, or accidental killings that escalated. But no arrests were ever made, and the statute of limitations expired in 2006, adding to the families’ pain.
The “Frog Boys” case remains one of South Korea’s most infamous cold cases, symbolising both systemic failure and a deeply emotional loss that still echoes decades later.
Who were the Frog Boys?
A: Five boys aged between 9 and 13 from a village near Daegu, South Korea, who went missing on March 26, 1991, while searching for salamander eggs.
Why are they called the “Frog Boys”?
A: Because they went to catch frog or salamander eggs when they disappeared, the media coined the term “Frog Boys.”