Three Korean family members missing after Grand Canyon trip…last seen near AZ freeway pileup

A family of three from South Korea has been missing for a week after a tour of the Grand Canyon, causing growing concern. The missing individuals are a woman in her 20s and two sisters in their 60s. After completing their Grand Canyon tour last week, they reportedly lost contact while traveling to Las Vegas.

They were initially scheduled to return to Korea on March 17, but after no contact was made, their family in South Korea requested assistance from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Police Consul Kyunghan Kang from the LA Consulate General, who rushed to the scene to understand the situation, stated, “The missing people report was filed in Korea on March 16 through the Consular Call Center of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” and added, “Following that, the LA Consulate General became aware of the case and immediately requested investigative cooperation from the Arizona state law enforcement authorities.”

The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office in Arizona, which is investigating the case, reported that they believe the individuals went missing on March 13. The missing persons were identified as Taehee Kim (69), Junghee Kim (64), and Jiyeon Lee (23).

It was confirmed that Taehee Kim and Jiyeon Lee are mother and daughter, and Taehee Kim and Junghee Kim are sisters. According to the Sheriff’s Office, GPS records from the rented vehicle show the last known location at around 3:27 p.m. on March 13, presumed to be the day of disappearance, heading westbound on Interstate 40 in Arizona.

Jon Paxton, Public Information Officer of the Sheriff’s office stated, “The last recorded location was near Seligman, Arizona,” and “the vehicle they rented was a 2024 white BMW X5 with California license plate number 9KHN768.”

On that day, a multi-vehicle collision caused by a winter storm occurred on the same road. According to the Arizona Department of Public Safety, it was a 22-vehicle pileup that resulted in two deaths and 16 injuries. Whether the missing family was involved in this accident has not yet been confirmed.

Regarding this, the Sheriff’s Office said they checked hospitals near the accident site but could not locate the missing family. The search is still ongoing.

BY KYEONGJUN KIM  [kim.kyeongjun1@koreadaily.com]