The police confirmed Tuesday that a dead body, found by a farmer in a city in South Jeolla Province on June 12, is that of Yoo Byung-eun, owner of the capsized ferry Sewol.
Investigators identified the body though fingerprint comparison and DNA samples, Suncheon Police Station chief Woo Hyung-ho told a news briefing.Woo said the fingerprints match those of the 73-year-old fugitive and DNA samples approximately match those of his older brother, Byung-il. The older Yoo had been taken into custody for allegedly pocketing funds from affiliates of Chonghaejin Marine Co., the operator of the ill-fated ferry.
Woo admitted that the police had been somewhat negligent in investigating the body when the plum field owner notified the investigative agency about the body in early June.
Though the corpse was delivered to a hospital in Suncheon right after the farmer reported it, a lock of hair from the remains was found to have been left in the field for more than a month, during which time police allegedly failed to identify the body due to heavy decay.
Police and the prosecution said they are waiting for the final results from the National Forensic Service, which is conducting a DNA test on the body.
Investigators at that time sent DNA samples from the body to the state forensic agency in an ordinary manner to identify the corpse.
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