Autopsy ordered after Daegu public official found dead in district office annex

A 30-something public official was found dead in his office on the fourth floor of the Suseong District Office Annex in Beomeo-dong, Daegu, authorities said. A cleaning worker discovered the body, and police launched an investigation into the cause of death.

The man had dialed 119 from his mobile phone around 11:35 p.m. the previous day. Fire officials said the caller could not sustain a clear conversation with the 119 operator, producing only vomiting sounds during the call.

Firefighters used GPS to locate the caller and requested a joint response with police, then moved to search near the district office. Around 11:45 p.m. they began scanning the area, but the annex building’s back entrance was locked, and they withdrew around midnight without entering the interior or locating the caller.

Officials said they did not obtain cooperation from the district office’s on-duty staff to open doors, noting that the main entrance to the building’s main hall was open at the time. They added that the location data did not conclusively place the caller inside the annex, which complicated the search.

Police said they immediately joined the joint response and continued to review the circumstances of the case after the withdrawal. An autopsy has been scheduled to determine the cause of death, and investigators noted there were no signs of foul play and no suicide note at the scene.

The body was found on the annex’s fourth floor, with what appeared to be remnants of food nearby. Early investigations indicated no external injuries, and authorities said the autopsy would assess whether a preexisting medical condition could have contributed to the death.

The incident raises questions about emergency-response coordination and access control in government facilities in South Korea. For U.S. readers, it underscores the importance of rapid location tracking, interior-access decisions during crises, and how building-entry policies can affect search operations in government buildings.