[Opinion] Frog Boys

On March 26, 1991, five boys who went out to catch salamanders mysteriously disappeared. The media at the time misreported the salamanders as frogs and give the boys the nickname, “frog boys.”

Eleven years and six months later, the remains of the boys were found on Mt. Waryong, 2.5 kilometers away from their village. A forensic team from Kyungpook National University concluded that they were murdered from evidence of blunt instrument damage to three of the skulls.

In a seminar two years after the disappearances, Choi Jung-rak, the model investigator of the TV drama “Investigator,” said, “I feel sorry for the parents of the boys. It is likely that the boys were killed on the mountain and buried.” His reasoning proved to be correct in the end, although seven months later, police searched the mountain for the boys, but fallen leaves made it difficult to find clues.

What is noteworthy is that there were about 10 bullets found near the skulls. An army firing range is located near where the bodies were found. Some said that the boys went outside not to catch salamanders, but to pick bullets. If that is the case, the boys should be called “bullet boys,” not “salamander boys.”

There had been reports that soldiers from the firing range killed or injured boys who abruptly appeared on the range, but those reports could not be substantiated.

Investigators say that the perpetrators could have been caught if the remains had been found earlier. After more than 10 years, however, it was hard to even tell what kind of weapon was used.

Some argue that the prosecution period should be extended because this is a case of a crime against humanity. But the amended law does not apply to cases that have outlived their prosecution period. Nevertheless, the existing guideline for civil crimes sets it at “within three years from the day when assaulters were found.” Therefore, the case has yet to end. To console the bereaved families and for the peaceful rest of the five boys’ souls, there cannot be a time limit on catching criminals.

Hwang Ho-taek, Editorial Writer, hthwang@donga.com