Four people reported missing on South Korea’s Jeju Island have been found dead within three days, as authorities investigate a police officer accused of improperly closing missing-person cases without carrying out the necessary checks.
The discoveries came amid intensified searches and scrutiny of past cases following the disappearance of 37-year-old Jang Mi-ran.
Her case, first reported in May, was allegedly closed after the officer handling it entered false information into the police system.
On Monday (24 Aug), police found a body believed to be Ms Jang’s at a palm tree farm in Hallim-eup, Jeju City.
She had been missing for 104 days. The body was found about 400m from the accommodation where she had been staying long-term.
Source: Korea JoongAng Daily
The remains were severely decomposed and could not be identified visually.
However, police believe they belong to Ms Jang based on clothing believed to match what she was last seen wearing on 12 May, as well as personal belongings found nearby, including her mobile phone and a gold bracelet.
Forensic tests and an autopsy will be carried out to confirm her identity and determine the time and cause of death.
Investigators said they currently believe the possibility of foul play is low.
Ms Jang’s disappearance has come under scrutiny after investigators alleged that a police officer, identified by the surname Bu, falsely closed her missing-person case.
Her disappearance was reported to police on 15 May. The officer allegedly told the person who filed the report that he had contacted Ms Jang, confirmed she was safe, and was told that she did not want her whereabouts disclosed.
Source: Yonhap News Agency
However, investigators later found no record of any call between the officer and Ms Jang.
The officer is also accused of removing Ms Jang’s case from the police missing-person profiling system, effectively ending further searches and follow-up investigations.
He was arrested on Saturday (22 Aug), but released on Monday after a court granted his request for a review of whether the emergency arrest was lawful.
Police are now conducting a full review of 298 missing-person cases that the officer handled and closed.
An earlier review found that around 10 cases may have been closed in a similar manner. Authorities had been unable to verify the whereabouts of people involved in several of them.
Besides Ms Jang, three other people reported missing were found dead on Jeju Island between Saturday and Monday.
A man believed to be in his 70s was found in waters near Sinheung-ri in Jocheon-eup, Jeju City, at around 3.04pm on Sunday (23 Aug).
Source: The Korea Herald
An angler discovered the body and alerted emergency services. The Jeju Coast Guard later confirmed that the man had been reported missing to Jeju Eastern Police Station the previous day.
Earlier on Monday, another person who had been reported missing was found dead near a valley in Aewol-eup, Jeju City. Police were working to confirm the person’s identity and cause of death.
A man in his 60s who had been reported missing on 2 July was also found dead in Songdang-ri, Gujwa-eup, on Saturday.
Police said his missing-person case had also allegedly been improperly closed by the same officer.
His family filed another report on 21 Aug after learning about Ms Jang’s case, prompting a renewed search that led to the discovery of his body the following day.
According to local media reports, Bu was reported over suspected domestic violence in 2023, leading to an internal review.
He reportedly received a warning but no further disciplinary action. Officers had been dispatched over the domestic violence report, but the case was closed at the scene.
Source: Yonhap News Agency
Bu was also investigated after allegedly entering a women’s restroom at the police station where he worked on 22 July.
He was removed from duty on 11 Aug, about a week before allegations emerged that he had improperly handled Ms Jang’s disappearance.
Following revelations surrounding Ms Jang’s disappearance, authorities intensified searches across Jeju from 20 Aug, deploying an average of about 140 police and Coast Guard personnel a day, along with drones, search dogs, divers, and patrol boats.
The National Police Agency has since apologised and said it will strengthen safeguards for closing missing-person cases.
Currently, officers must record a reason for closing a case, but prior approval from a supervisor is not required.
Authorities are now considering requiring a team leader or senior officer to review the reason and supporting evidence before a case can be closed.
Of the 70,814 adults reported missing in South Korea last year, 70,591 cases, or 99.7%, were resolved without a full-scale police search, according to the National Police Agency.
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Featured image adapted from Yonhap News Agency and Yonhap News Agency.