South Korean officer admits closing Jeju missing cases to avoid work
A police officer on the holiday island of Jeju has been charged with forging documents to close missing persons cases prematurely to avoid additional paperwork.
The officer, identified by his surname Bu, falsely claimed he had contacted missing individuals and lied to their families. Following his arrest in August, authorities launched belated search operations that have since uncovered four bodies.
The scandal prompted President Lee Jae Myung to pledge comprehensive police reform just as the government prepares to grant law enforcement additional powers.
Police statement
Jeju Provincial Police announced on Tuesday that Bu faces charges of dereliction of duty, obstruction of official duties and forgery of public electronic records. According to a police statement, Bu admitted to ignoring the investigations because he viewed the missing adults carelessly and felt pressured by the workload of handing over active files.
Investigators highlighted the disappearance of 37-year-old Jang Mi-ran in May. After her boyfriend reported her missing, Bu fabricated a story that Jang refused to be contacted. He then falsely recorded in the police database that she had died in a traffic collision before closing her file. Search teams found Jang’s body near a palm tree plantation last week.
In July, Bu similarly lied about speaking with a missing man in his 60s, claiming the man did not want to be disturbed. That individual was discovered dead earlier this month.
Authorities suspect Bu improperly closed another 25 missing persons files, though several of those individuals were eventually located safe.
