Three Koreans missing on a trip to Grand Canyon

Three Korean tourists, Lee (33), her mother Kim (59), and her aunt Kim (54), who had been visiting the Grand Canyon in Arizona in the southwestern United States, have gone missing for 10 days, according to reports by CNN and other U.S. local media. They had not been contacted, and local police started a search. The family had visited the United States for travel purposes and were scheduled to return home on March 17. Their family in Korea requested assistance from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who requested a search by the local police.

According to the Coconino County Police Office in Arizona, the car that Lee had rented passed along Interstate 40 from the Grand Canyon to Las Vegas around 3 p.m. on March 13. Around one mile away from a location where their cellphone signal was last detected, a 22-car pileup occurred during a snowstorm that same day, killing two people and injuring 16. “The fire caused by the accident lasted so long that many vehicles were completely destroyed and are now unrecognizable,” the Coconino County Police Office said. They also said it has not been confirmed whether the rental car driven by Lee was involved in the accident, adding that there is no circumstantial evidence to suggest criminal involvement.

“The Korean embassy dispatched a consulate to the scene as soon as it became aware of the situation and requested the U.S. investigative authorities to conduct a swift and thorough investigation,” said an official with the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs.


Jeong-Soo Hong hong@donga.com