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The story of 'that day' in history that we should not forget is told by 'Jang Trio' Jang Hyun-sung, Jang Sung-kyu and Jang Do-yeon on SBS' 'The Story of the Day with the Tail on the Tail' (hereinafter referred to as 'Kokomoo'). For those who missed the main broadcast, or for those who have watched the broadcast but want to reflect on it again, SBS Entertainment News will summarize it in one room.

The story of "that day" that I would like to tell "you" this time is the episode "In Search of My Son - The Secret of Death in the Cave" that was broadcast on the 18th. The story friends included group (girls) children member Mi-yeon, actors Jin Koo and Park Hyo-joo. (The review will be conducted in half-horse mode, in keeping with the nature of "Kokomu".)

▲ The lake disappeared

on June 1986, 6, in Yeosu, South Jeollan. Shin Jeong-hak, a 22-year-old who lives by the sea, works as a dried fish and sells it.



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All my children live in the city with my elderly mother and wife. That day, when I finished work and just went to bed, I got a call from Mr. Shin Jeonghak's house. The sender is my nephew who lives in Seoul. My nephew said, "The lake is gone." Hearing that, Mr. Shin Jeonghak's heart sank.

"I got a call from my nephew, and it was Saturday or Sunday. I decided to meet my brother for lunch and hang out, but he didn't come, even though I made an appointment. Even if I tried to call him, he said it was wrong. So, for some reason, he called me. I was surprised. Then."
-Shin Jeong-hak interview in 2012 中

Lake is a person's name. Shin Jeong-hak's son, Shin Shin-so. That's who it is.



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Ho, who was 23 years old at the time, is the second of Shin Jeong-hak's two sons and two daughters. You're the first son, but you used to value him very much, didn't you? The name of the lake was given to a person who didn't even have a name and paid a lot of money to build it. But the precious lake is gone.

My father took the first car the next day and went straight up to Incheon. He was working for a gas delivery company in Incheon. His father asked the store clerks where she worked about her whereabouts. But the staff was rather surprised. He said it had been more than ten days since the lake disappeared, and he hadn't contacted his family.

According to the staff, the last time they saw the lake was about ten days ago, on June 2, and something strange happened that day. That afternoon a strange car pulled up in front of the store, and three men got out and looked for the lake.



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They handed Lake a red envelope and asked, "You know this, right?" He looked at the contents of the envelope and turned blue in the face. When Lake nodded that he knew what's inside, the men instantly unbuckled his belt, grabbed him by the waist, and shoved him into the back seat of the car. And just like that, he got in the car and disappeared.

The father, who knew that something bad must have happened to his son, asked the store staff again who the men were and if they hadn't seen the license plate number. It happened so suddenly that the staff remembers only three things. It was 'Pony 2, Gray, Walkie-talkie.' The three men came in a grey pony 2, and there was an unusual radio attached to the inside of the car. What are these three men?

My father went straight to the police station. I thought something had happened to my son and asked him to find out, but the police said it was difficult to investigate with such a clue and told me to go home for now. It's the same if you go to another police station. There's no way to find my son, or the people who took him away. Eventually, my father was forced to return to Yeosu.

▲ The death of the lake, self-murder or other
murder has been
so sad for several days. I got a call from the Yeosu police station at Shin Jeong-hak's house. I'm getting a call that I've found my son. My father rushed to the police station in a hurry. But the police said that Lake had been found dead, and they gave me this photo.



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I'm taking off all my clothes and wearing only white panties. He wears a white cloth around his neck, and his white socks are stained with blood. The lake died in this way. Why did his son Lake, who was fine, come back in such a terrible way?

My father went to the place where the body was found. The place where the lake disappeared is Incheon, but the place where the body was found is Yeosu. It's a 20-minute drive from Yeosu's house.



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However, the place where the body was found is halfway up a rocky mountain by the side of the road. It was found on a mountainside with a 60-degree slope that is difficult for people to climb, in a small cave among large boulders. You can go near this little cave, but if you don't look closely, you don't even know where the entrance is. It's hard to even know that a cave like this exists here, but who found the bodies in it? In fact, the discovery of the body was a miraculous coincidence. It was the three guards who discovered the lake.

On June 8, eight days after the lake disappeared. The three National Guards had been on duty all night and were leaving in the morning. But one of them was hungry and suggested picking raspberries, and the guards went around the mountains picking raspberries.



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Then one of them saw a pigeon going into a crevice in the rock. 'Why does the bird go in there? What's there?' and I got closer, and there was a hole narrow enough for a person. Out of curiosity, the guard stuck his foot in and fell into the den. However, I was curious that there was a cave, and I was looking around the cave, and at that moment, I found a man standing there wearing only panties. The guard screamed in surprise and ran out. The other guard outside, poked his head back in and looked inside the cave. I could see the feet of the man in the panties, and they were floating in the air. I was confronted with a corpse with a hanging.

The guards rushed straight to the police box to report it. When the police arrived, they cut the straps around the body and carried the body out of the cave. When I saw it in the light, I saw that the straps around my neck were made by connecting the T-shirt I was wearing and my pants. That's why she was found wearing panties and socks. The picture of the body that I showed you earlier was taken outside the cave at this time.



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He can't believe that he committed suicide in that little cave. My father asked me to show him the body. But without the consent of my family, I already buried it in the ground. What's even more amazing is that the body was found eight days ago. He found his body and buried it two days later. Without contacting the family, they buried the body at will? Why did the police do that?



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These are all belongings of the lake found inside the cave. It's the cover of a burnt notebook, and the plastic on the outside of my national ID card. Everything that could identify the body had been burned, so it took time to identify it only with fingerprints. But before they could get the fingerprint results, they buried the body. At the time, the police said the reason was that it looked like a suicide. According to the circumstances, he was found with his neck slashed, and there was no visible trauma. His shin, which appeared to be bleeding profusely, was determined to be a wound from climbing a steep rocky mountain. And the doctor who examined the body examined it with his eyes and determined that it was a suicide.



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"It was a big shock. ' I took what was in the cave and buried it.' And then we stood up and said it wasn't suicide."
-Shin Sook-hee, the sister of

the late Shin Shin-so, protested that she could never have a funeral at the lake like this. Then I went to the guards who found the body and asked them if they didn't see anything unusual about the body. The National Guard, who said it was too dark and too alarming to see closely, said one significant thing. "The man was tied up."



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His body was tied with a belt with his arms and torso. As soon as he heard the story, he was convinced. You can't tie yourself up and commit suicide, someone killed Lake and faked suicide.

But why did the police say it was a suicide when they saw that he was tied with a belt? This is a live-action investigation written by the police at the time.



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The doctor's statement reads, "The arm was tied to the elbow by himself in order to succeed, as holding on to the rock with both hands at the time of the strap was not successful in committing suicide." Surprisingly, some people who actually commit suicide bind themselves. However, if you are going to conclude that it is a suicide, you must verify that you can bind yourself to it. Is it possible to die alone like a lake with his arms and torso tied together with a belt? This is the scene situation drawn by the police at the time.



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옷가지로 만든 끈을 매단 곳은 동굴 천장의 바위틈이야. 바닥에서 천장까지 높이는 2m 50cm. 신호수의 키는 165cm로 작은 편이야. 지난 2012년 '그것이 알고싶다' 제작진은 이 동굴에서 경찰 보고서와 동일한 조건으로 당시 상황을 실험한 적이 있어.



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실험을 진행해 보니, 동굴 천장에 끈을 걸기도 쉽지 않아. 결국 장비를 타고 올라가 끈을 천장에 걸었어. 호수가 30cm 돌을 딛고 올라가 목을 맸다는 경찰 보고서. 실험자는 먼저 허리띠로 몸과 팔을 묶은 후, 돌 위에 올라가서 천장에 매단 끈에 목을 매는 걸 시도했어. 하지만 실패했어. 이번엔 순서를 반대로 시도해 봤어. 돌 위에 올라가 목을 먼저 매고, 재빨리 허리띠로 몸을 묶는 방식으로. 이건 불가능한 건 아니었지만, 그렇다고 쉬운 일도 아니었어. 그렇게 어려운 방법으로, 굳이 이 동굴까지 와서 죽으려 했을까.

근데 만약 타살이라도, 시신을 들고 그 험한 바위산을 오르는 것도 게 가능할까. 호수의 시신은 발목을 빼고는 비교적 깨끗한 편이었어. 경찰은 시신을 옮기는 건 불가능하다고 판단했어. 경찰은 발견되기 힘든 동굴을 선택한 점, 자신의 신분이 드러나는 소지품을 불태운 점, 이런 것들을 바탕으로 치밀하게 계획된 자살이라 결론 내렸어. 게다가 이 장소가 여수에 있다는 것도 자살의 증거래. 여수는 호수의 고향이니까.

하지만 아버지의 생각은 다를 수밖에 없어. 그렇게 치밀하게 계획했다면 옷을 묶을 게 아니라 애초에 밧줄을 가져갔어야지. 그리고 호수는 여수에서 태어나긴 했지만, 4살 때 여수를 떠나 그 뒤로 쭉 서울과 인천에서 살았어. 부모님이 다시 여수로 귀향한 것도, 불과 3년 전이야.

"여수는, 저희들이 어렸을 때 거기서 태어났어도 거기서 살진 않았어요. 저희 초등학교도 다 서울에서 다녔어요. 저희는 그런 산이 있는 것도 몰랐어요. 거기서 안 살았으니까."
-신순희, 故신호수 누나

심지어 그 동굴은, 아버지도, 근처 주민들도 몰랐던 곳이야. 아버지 생각에, 호수도 절대 그 동굴을 알 리가 없어. 호수의 미스터리한 죽음. 아버지는 죽은 아들한테 굳게 약속했어. "호수야, 네가 왜 죽었는지 이 아빠가 꼭 밝혀줄게"라고.

▲ 세 남자의 정체

아버지는 호수를 '무전기를 단 회색 포니2'에 태워 데려갔다는 세 남자부터 찾아 나섰어. 인천에 있는 가스 배달 업체를 다시 찾아가서, 직원들한테 사소한 거라도 좋으니 기억나는 걸 전부 이야기해 달라 부탁했어. 그러자 직원 한 명이 "그날 아침에, 파출소에서 전화가 왔었다"고 말해줬어. 세 남자가 가스 배달 업체를 찾아오기 직전에, 근처 파출소에서 전화가 와서 가게 위치를 물었다는 거야. 아버지는 그 파출소로 찾아갔어.



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"'파출소에서 알아보고 온 것 같다' 그렇게 말하더라고. 그래서 내가 파출소로 갔어요. 가서 근무자한테 물어보니까 '봤다' 이거야. 똑같이 말을 해요. '포니2, 색은 회색, 무전기 부착'을 했는데 번호판은 못 봤다는 거야. 근데 파출소 앞에 차를 대고 세 명이 들어와서 다리 꼬고 앉아서, 전화를 자기 맘대로 쓰고…"
-신정학, 故신호수의 아버지

파출소에서 그 남자들한테 어디서 왔냐고 물으니, '서울에서 온 경찰'이라고 했대. 알고 보니 호수는 서울 경찰한테 연행당했던 거야. 근데 거기까지가 전부야. 차 번호도 모르고, 그들이 어디 소속인지도 모르는 상황이야. 이 세 남자, 어디서 찾을 수 있을까? 아버지는 청와대에 진정서를 제출했어.



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"서울 경찰이라고 한 3인의 형사란 어떤 사람들이며 번호 미상인 회색 포니2 무전기 부착 차량을 발견하여야 하며, 가급적 빠른 기일 내에 관계 기관에서 최대 조사로써 규명 바라오며 이에 진정합니다."
-신정학 씨가 제출한 진정서 中

아버지는 청와대뿐만 아니라, 경찰, 검찰, 법무부장관, 국회까지 다 진정서를 보냈어. 그랬더니 이런 회신이 왔어.



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"동행여부 확인한 바, 산하 서부경찰서 대공과에서 국보법 제7조 5항 위반혐의 사실로 86.6.11.14:00경 인천에서 임의동행"

'대공과'는 간첩사건을 다루는 곳이야. 그런 대공과에서 왜 호수를 데려갔을까? 세 남자가 호수에게 보여줬던 '빨간 봉투' 기억나? 답은 이 안에 들어있어. 그 안에는 '삐라'가 들어 있었어.



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삐라는 남북이 서로 심리전 용도로 살포하는 전단지야. 호수가 살던 자취방의 장판 아래에서 이 삐라가 나왔어. 무려 34장이 있었대. 수집 목적에 따라 다르긴 하지만, 삐라 소지는 그 당시 국가보안법 위반이야. 그럼 호수는 왜 삐라를 모았을까?

이유는 생각보다 간단했어. 당시 호수는 방위병이었는데, 이 삐라를 모아서 제출하면 포상 휴가를 보내줬대. 호수는 휴가를 위해 삐라를 모았다고, 대공과 형사들에게 말했어. 형사들은 이 말을 듣고, 호수를 잡은 지 3시간 만에 훈방조치 했다고 주장했어.

오히려 당시 경찰청 수사관이 작성한 내용을 보면, 호수는 자신의 처지를 비관해서 자살했다고 쓰여있어. 사실 호수네 형편이 좋지 않았던 건 맞아. 그래서 호수는 성적이 좋았지만, 고등학교에 자퇴서를 냈어. 아버지의 부담을 덜어드리기 위해서.

"그때 사실 경제사정이 나빠졌어요. 그래서 내가 호수한테 그랬죠. '아무 신경 쓰지 말고 학교를 진학해라'라고. 그랬더니 호수가 좋은 말을 해주더라고 어리더라도. 검정고시를 본 후 대학에 진학할 거라고 얘기하더라고."
-신정학, 故신호수의 아버지

그 후 호수는 닥치는 대로 일을 했고, 전역 후 가스 배달 업체에 취직했어. 경찰은 호수가 이런 처지를 비관했다는 거야. 하지만 아버지가 보기엔, 절대 아니야. 호수는 일하면서도 틈틈이 공부해 검정고시에도 합격했고, 대학 진학도 준비하고 있었어. 아버지는 이런 성격의 호수가 그런 선택을 했을 리가 없다고 믿었어. 그리고 호수가 경찰서에서 가혹행위를 당했고, 그러다 숨지자 동굴에 시신을 은폐했을 거라고 추측했어.



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아버지는 시신 부검을 요청했어. 땅에 묻힌 지 17일 만에 호수의 시신이 밖으로 나왔어. 하지만 부검 결과는 '타살 혐의점 없음', 즉 자살로 나왔어.

▲ 호수는 '공작' 대상이었나

아버지는 호수를 연행했던 세 형사를 고소했어. 상해치사, 독직폭행, 사체유기 등의 혐의로. 고소할 만한 증거가 없었지만, 그 당시에 엄청난 사실이 공개됐어. 아버지가 집요하게 진상 규명을 요구하던 가운데, 5공 정권이 몰락하면서 그동안 숨겨진 수많은 검, 경찰 자료들이 공개된 거야. 바로 이거야.



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'장흥공작'. 신호수를 연행한 경찰이 쓴 보고서야. 경기도 양주시 장흥면은 그 삐라가 발견된 호수의 자취방이 있던 곳이야. 이 보고서 첫 장을 보면, '북괴 불온 선전물 습득 신고사항 접수보고' 날짜가 85년 9월 8일이라 나와.

호수가 연행된 날은, 86년 6월 11일. 삐라가 발견된 날은, 85년 9월 8일이야. 삐라 발견부터 연행까지, 9개월 정도 걸렸어. 장흥공작 보고서를 보면, 삐라가 발견된 지 6일 후인 85년 9월 14일에 신호수의 이름이 최초로 등장해. 함께 살던 룸메이트 친구의 이름도 발견돼. '공작'의 대상이 된 거야.

그리고 한 달 후쯤인 10월 19일에 담당 형사는 룸메이트를 조사해. 룸메이트는 호수랑 같은 부대에 있었던 방위병이었어. 룸메이트는 호수가 휴가 때문에 삐라를 모으는 걸 봤다고 사실대로 말했어. 담당 형사는 호수가 있던 군부대로 찾아갔어. 거기서도 삐라 수집이 휴가 때문이었다는 걸 확인했어.

이렇게 호수의 삐라 수집은 별 일이 아닌 걸로 확인됐어. 그런데 혐의가 없는데, 조사는 중단되지 않았어. 8개월이나 지난 후에 호수를 대공과에서 연행해 갔잖아. 그 이유가 보고서 마지막에 적혀있어.

"공작 평가. 1985년 5월경 방위병 동료들에게 불온 전단을 보여주어 탐독게 한 사실. 군생활이 고달프다고 불평불만을 토로하는 등 대상자는 불순분자와 연계 활동을 한 것으로 추정됨으로 공작 가치가 있다고 판단."

삐라를 방 친구들에게 보여주고, 군생활이 고달프다고 불평했으니까. 이런 이유로 대공 수사과에서 '공작가치가 있다'고 한 거야. 이후 경찰은, 신호수의 가족 관계, 전과 기록 등을 전부 조사했어. 그리고 1986년 6월 11일, 세 형사가 호수를 찾아갔던 거야. 호수를 연행할 때 허리띠를 풀고 허리춤을 부여잡는 방식으로 데려갔잖아? 이건, 중범죄자를 연행하는 방식이래.

그렇게 9개월이나 몰래 수사했던 호수를, 불과 3시간 만에 풀어줬다는 경찰. 심지어 형사는 호수를 훈방조치하며, 호수가 경찰서 주변 지리를 모른다고 해서 서울역에 자기 차로 데려다줬다고 했어. 차비도 없다고 해서 3천 원까지 줘서 보냈대.

아버지가 이 말을 믿겠어? 호수는 서울에서 어릴 때부터 살았어. 심지어 서부경찰서 주변은 어린 시절 호수 가족이 살았던 곳이야. 그런데 지리를 모른다고? 그리고 호수한테 차비가 없었다는 것도 수상해. 가스 배달 업체 직원들에 따르면, 당시 호수한테 현금 12만 원이 있었대. 전날 수금한 돈을 갑자기 연행되는 바람에 그대로 갖고 갔으니, 수중에 돈이 있었다는 거야.

의심스러운 건 또 있어. 경찰 말대로라면, 호수는 연행 당일인 6월 11일에 훈방됐어. 그리고 부검 결과, 사망 추정일은 6월 12일에서 14일 사이야. 만약에 호수가 자살했다면, 사망 추정일인 그 시기에 누군가 호수를 목격하지 않았을까? 그런데 경찰서를 나온 후, 호수를 본 사람은 아무도 없어.

납득하기 힘든 주장에, 세 형사를 고소한 아버지. 하지만 이번에도 검찰 수사 결과 '타살혐의점 없음'이라고 나왔어. 아버지는 이번에도 답을 찾지 못했어.



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"할 말이 없어요. 생때같은 자식을 죽였는데, 내가 뭐라 하겠습니까 자식한테. 그래서 최선을 다해서 진상을 밝혀줘야, 저승 가서 만나더라도 내 할 일을 다했다는 거…"
-신정학, 故신호수 아버지

▲ 자식 잃은 부모들, 힘을 모으다

아버지는 생계도 포기한 채 사건에만 매달렸어. 아들이 간첩으로 수사를 받았다고 하니, 손 내미는 사람도 없었어. 그런데 그때, 아버지는 비슷한 처지의 누군가를 만나게 돼. '이소선, 박정기, 배은심' 이 분들의 성함 들어본 적 있어? 이 이름이 생소하다면, 전태일, 박종철, 이한열 열사의 이름은 알지?



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그래 맞아. 세 열사의 부모님들 성함이야. 독재정권에 자식을 잃은 부모들, 그리고 자식의 죽음 이유조차 모르는 부모들까지. 신정학 씨처럼 혼자 애태우던 부모들이, 함께 하기 시작했어.



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이 분들은 십시일반 돈을 걷어, 작은 집을 마련했어. 그 집의 이름은, '한울삶'. 한 울타리의 삶이란 뜻이야. 집 한쪽 벽에는 자식들의 영정을 걸었어.



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이 분들은 한울삶에서 함께 밥도 해 먹고, 함께 울고, 자식 살았을 때 추억을 얘기하면서, 서로의 아픔을 나눴어. 그러면서 처음으로 웃을 수 있었대.



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부모들은 자식의 영정을 품에 안고 거리로 나섰어. 그리고 죽음의 의문을 풀어달라고, 진실을 알려달라고 외쳤어. 처음에는 135일, 다음엔 422일간 농성을 했어. 호수 아버지는 늘 시위대의 맨 앞에 섰어. 경찰에 몇 번이나 연행되면서도, 멈추지 않았어. 그리고 싸우는 동안, 아버지는 단 한 번도 울지 않았어. 그것은 아들 죽음의 진실을 알리기 위해 아버지가 싸우는 방식이었어.



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이렇게 10년이 넘게 싸운 결과 성과는 있었어. 1999년 12월에, 의문사진상규명에 관한 특별법이 만들어졌어. 그리고 2000년, 의문사진상규명위원회가 출범해. 신호수 사건도 조사 대상이 됐어. 아버지는 아들의 무덤을 찾아가 "호수야 이번엔 꼭 네 한을 풀어줄게"라고 말했어. 그리고 나서 아들의 유골을 다시 꺼냈어. 사망한 지 16년 만에, 다시 부검을 하기로 한 거야.



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사망원인에 대한 분석은 세 군데서 하기로 했어. 국과수, 서울대 법의학부, 그리고 일본 도쿄 의과대학. 먼저 도쿄 의과대학의 가미야마 명예교수는 한국 의문사 사건만 30건 이상 감정했던 법의학자야. 가미야마 명예교수는 호수의 다리 상처가 원형 족쇄 같은 특수한 도구의 압박으로 인해 생긴 상처라 판단했어. 또 무릎에 묻은 것은 바위에서 나오는 가루라며, 살아있는 채로 바위에 무릎을 꿇렸을 거라 추정했어. 동굴 주변에서 고문이나 폭행이 이뤄져 사망했을 가능성이 있다는 소견이야.



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"이건 3자가 관여한 죽음, 즉 타살입니다. 그 외에는 없습니다."
-가미야마 명예교수, 도쿄 의과대학 의학부

국과수와 서울대 법의학부는 같은 의견이 나왔어. '자살이냐 타살이냐, 말하기 어렵다'는 거야. 시간이 너무 오래 지나 백골화 된 시신으로 명확한 답을 얻기 힘들대. 그리고 당시 부검 기록, 수사 기록을 다시 검토했는데 가장 중요한 게 없다는 거야. 바로 '현장 사진'. 남은 건 동굴 밖의 사진뿐이야. 동굴 안에서 시신이 발견됐을 당시의 사진은 없어. 심지어 당시 부검도, 곧바로 한 게 아니야. 아버지의 항의로 매장 후 17일 만에 다시 꺼내 부검한 거라, 그마저도 기록이 상세하지 않아서 사망 원인을 단정할 수 없대.



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The results of the investigation by the Commission for the Investigation of Questionable Photographs came out as "impossible to establish the truth" this time as well. His father's promise to Lake to "find out the truth" was not kept. In the end, without revealing anything, the father had to bury his son's ashes in the ground again.

▲ The truth that has been recognized for the first time in 23 years In front of
my father who was so desperate, I have another chance.
In 2006, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission began investigating again. But in fact, the signalman case was a burden for the investigators.



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"I thought I was coming. We already knew that in the case of the mysterious case, like the signal case, most of them were decades old or had already been exhausted, so they were very difficult to uncover. So when this case first came to me, I thought, 'Can I do this?' I was worried about it."
-Byun Sang-chul, then an investigator
of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Under the pressure of "Is there anything more that can be done?
", this time he changed the direction of the investigation. When he was taken to the police, he focused on the other detectives who were on duty at the station. So while I was investigating my fellow investigators in addition to the main investigators at the time, some meaningful statements came out.

"I went outside and came in and saw the signalman kneeling on the floor. I had my hands straight on my knees and I was tense."
-Investigator

"There was a signalman in a small room that had been set up as a dorm room in his office. When I asked him who he was, he told me that he was a former defense officer in North Korea, and that he had some disturbing water, so he went to Incheon to catch it."
-Investigator

B: In particular, the answer to the question, "How many days has the signalman been under investigation at the police station?" was decisive.



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"As I recall, I was under investigation for about three days."

The Archduke and the detective said they were disciplined in three hours. It's the exact opposite. The first day I took the lake was June 3th. What if I had been in the police station for three days? Until June 3th. The estimated date of Lake's death is between June 6 and 11. So at the time of Lake's presumed death, he could have been inside the police station. It's possible that Lake died at the police station.

"We have come to the conclusion that we cannot rule out the possibility that the signalman may have already died and come out."
-Byun Sang-chul, then Truth and Reconciliation Commission investigator
Could there have been a different investigation
this time? It's a decision from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

"In light of the statement of a fellow investigator that he had been interrogated at the police station for about three days, as well as the death certificate and affidavit, it can be confirmed that he was within the authority of the police station until shortly before his death. In the end, in the process of manipulating Shin so into a spy through the Chang Heung operation, it is judged that Shin Shin so was killed due to abusive acts, etc., and this was disguised as a suicide."
- Decision of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (November 3, 6)



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"We couldn't rule out the involvement of a third party. The previous investigations continued to conclude that it was a suicide because no evidence of third-party involvement was found. But it was a new revelation that 'there is room for third parties to intervene.'"
-Byun Sang-chul, then Truth

and Reconciliation Commission investigator Finally, after 3 years, the father got a different answer to the question, "Why did his son die?" When he got a different answer, he said, "Now I have something to say to Lake."

▲ Unfinished Questions

After the Truth and Reconciliation Commission decision, my father filed a lawsuit against the state. He still has questions. I don't know exactly how the lake ended up dying. The court upheld the unlawful arrest and detention without a warrant. He also acknowledged that the state's efforts to find out the truth had been insufficient. But he didn't admit that he was killed by police brutality.

But then he stopped asking questions. He is now very weak in body and mind. My father was recently diagnosed with dementia. It's not serious yet, but little by little the memories of the past are being erased. Still, I remember something clearly.



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"We named our son, we gave him two bales of rice. It's called a signal number. Bumhoja on the number of trees. They said that if you name it a lake, it will live for a long time, but it will die quickly, so it is of no use. I think he died so quickly because he made such a high name, actually. That's how high the name is."
-Shin Jung-hak, the late Shin Shin-so's
father
, still smiles as he remembers his son when he was alive. However, the pain of leaving such a son before him remained in my heart forever. My father sent his son first, but he stayed with him for the rest of his life.



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"I remember my son's face. It's not like me, our son is handsome. People who say they like their sons say they're out of arms. I can't say that my son did a good job. I studied well. If I think about it, what would have happened now if my son had lived? I'm thinking about this... Even now, it's still a shame. When I talk about it, I think about it clearly..."
- Shin Jung-hak, father of the late Shin Shin-so



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This mountain of documents is the documents of the lake case that my father has been collecting. From the day his son disappeared until now, my father has been constantly asking me for the past 37 years, 'Why did my son die?' The question is sadder than any death because the answer must also be sought by the remnant. Even now, there are deaths that still have unanswered questions.

What are your thoughts on "today" when you heard the story of "that day"?

(SBS Entertainment News reporter Kang Seon-ae)