South Korea probes police as Jeju island missing persons scandal deepens
South Korean police are examining the work records of an officer accused of mishandling missing-person cases on Jeju Island, as the scandal widens and authorities move to strengthen procedures for finding missing people.
The Jeju Provincial Police Agency said Friday it was reviewing a night-shift report prepared by the officer in May, when a woman in her 30s was reported missing. Investigators suspect the report omitted key information and that the case was not passed to senior officers as required.
Police normally escalate missing-person reports involving women because of the possibility that they could be linked to a crime. In this case, however, the officer allegedly closed the report without confirming the woman’s safety.
Arrest and investigation
The officer, identified by his surname Bu, was arrested earlier this week after the woman’s body was found at a tree farm on 24 August, more than three months after she disappeared.
Police allege that Bu deleted her information from the missing-person database and entered false details stating that she had died in a car accident. He is also accused of telling her family that he had contacted her and that she did not want her whereabouts disclosed, although investigators found no record of a call between the officer and the woman.
The woman, Jang Mi-ran, reportedly had signs of death by strangulation on her neck. Police claim that she hung herself from a palm tree, while netizens argue that for a woman with her height it would be a near-impossible task.
Pyo Chang-Won, a former lawmaker and well-known criminologist, stated that Bu might have closed the missing person cases without due inspection to decrease his workload.
Jeju moves to reassure residents and tourists
Authorities are now attempting to improve coordination between agencies and contain fears about safety on the island, one of South Korea’s major tourist destinations.
The Jeju provincial government has announced a joint response system involving police, the Coast Guard, fire authorities and autonomous police. A common manual is also being prepared to establish responsibilities from the initial missing-person report through search operations and decisions to end a search.
Jeju also plans to extend the retention period for public CCTV footage from 30 days to at least 60 days, addressing concerns that evidence can disappear when searches are delayed.
The measures come as unverified claims about possible links between missing-person cases circulate online. Police have not established that the deaths are connected to a serial killer or another single criminal operation.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has ordered an investigation and called for reforms, while Interior Minister Yun Hojung has acknowledged structural problems in the handling of missing-person cases.
Scandal exposes wider failures
The case has expanded beyond the conduct of one officer. Authorities are reviewing hundreds of missing-person reports handled by Bu, while South Korean police have ordered a much broader examination of cases closed across the country.
The past three years’ 310,000 missing-person cases will be re-examined. Bu allegedly falsified records in at least two cases involving deceased people, prompting the review. Cases that were mishandled may be reopened after the November review.
The scandal has also raised questions about how South Korea distinguishes missing adults from voluntary departures. Children, autistic people, and people with dementia or other mental disabilities are covered by special missing-person procedures.
