KB News Desk
A man whose “zombie-like” posture in a video in June sparked suspicions of drug use has tested positive in a forensic analysis of his hair, after conflicting results from urine tests earlier, police said Wednesday.
The Suwon Gwonseon Police Station in Gyeonggi Province said it had received the results of a detailed hair analysis of the man conducted by the National Forensic Service.
Unlike urine tests that generally detect drug use within the previous week, hair analysis can identify substances consumed up to a year earlier, depending on the length of the sample.
The video was recorded at around 12:30 p.m. on June 21 near a bus stop at an apartment complex in Gwonseon-gu, Suwon. It showed the man, who is in his 30s, hunched over against a wall with his arms hanging loosely at his sides, prompting online suspicions of drug use.
A witness posted the video on social media the following day, where it circulated as “Suwon zombie.” The man’s unusual posture drew comparisons to the so-called “fentanyl fold,” which is a slang term for a sharply hunched posture associated with opioid use.
The video prompted a police investigation.
Days later, officials located a man matching his description in the area and arrested him on suspicion of violating the Narcotics Control Act. At the time, the man appeared sober, and no illegal drugs were found in his possession. A preliminary drug test, however, came back positive for methamphetamine.
He was later released after a urine test came back negative.
Police continued their investigation without detaining him and reportedly found further indications of drug use through a forensic analysis of his mobile phone and other evidence.
Authorities plan to question him again on Thursday before deciding whether to seek an arrest warrant.
