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A suspect accused of murdering a Chinese international student in Gyeongsan leaves the Daegu District Court on the morning of the 27th after undergoing a pre-trial detention hearing. / Yonhap News

Police are conducting a nationwide search with a Chinese university lecturer in tow, who was arrested on charges of murdering a Chinese international student in Gyeongsan, North Gyeongsang Province, to locate the victim's discarded body.

According to the Gyeongsan Police Station in North Gyeongsang Province on the 29th, police deployed detectives starting the morning of the previous day to transport the suspect, a 31-year-old Chinese university lecturer surnamed Zheng who has been detained on murder and other charges, in a police vehicle to search for the victim's body.

Police believe Zheng murdered the Chinese international student, identified as A, at his residence in Hayang-eup, Gyeongsan, before mutilating the body and abandoning the remains across multiple regions. During police questioning, Zheng reportedly stated that he murdered A in the early morning hours of the 20th.

Based on Zheng's statements and his travel routes following the crime, police are identifying the exact disposal sites. The search area has been expanded beyond Gyeongsan to a nationwide scale.

The victim's bereaved family arrived in South Korea the previous day and underwent police questioning. Police plan to question the family as witnesses to clarify the relationship between A and Zheng.

Psychological support for the bereaved family is also underway. Police have reportedly assigned two psychological support officers from the Women and Juvenile Affairs Division to help stabilize the family emotionally.

Officials presumed to be from the Chinese consulate also visited the Gyeongsan Police Station the previous afternoon and remained for an extended period.

While confirming the disposal sites with Zheng, police are investigating the exact motive, his relationship with the victim, and his whereabouts before and after the crime.

                                                                                                          Seol So-young