Jeju police face scrutiny after girl, 4, dies amid custody dispute
South Korean police are facing criticism after a four-year-old girl and her father were found dead on Jeju Island, despite repeated requests from the child’s mother for help during an international custody dispute.
Emergency responders found them in a parked car in Seogwipo on Monday. The father, an Australian permanent resident in his 40s, reportedly took his daughter to South Korea in October 2025 without her mother’s consent.
The mother had obtained a court order under the Hague Convention on International Child Abduction requiring the girl’s return. She claims South Korean police failed to enforce the ruling or respond to her concerns about her daughter’s safety.
Police say they found no signs of danger
Jeju police said officers checked on the father and daughter eight times between November 2025 and July 2026, sometimes accompanied by child protection workers.
Police reported finding no signs of abuse or immediate danger. However, the mother said officers had repeatedly failed to locate her former husband and had not done enough to protect the girl. She also claimed she was not informed about the checks until much later.
On October 2, the mother contacted Jeju police after learning that the father planned to take their daughter to the United States. She also sought help from South Korean diplomatic officials in Australia.
An Australian court cancelled the girl’s passport the following day to prevent her departure.
Despite these warnings, Jeju police did not open a formal investigation. Officers said they had not received the relevant court ruling through official channels and that the mother’s request had not been submitted through the emergency reporting system.
Police also said enforcing international custody orders was outside their authority.
The mother disputed their explanation, saying she had repeatedly contacted authorities and filed complaints through South Korea’s online civil petition system. Her reports included concerns about suspected child abuse.
The case has raised questions about how South Korean authorities handle international custody disputes and respond to warnings about children’s safety. Police were still considering whether they had grounds to intervene when the deaths were discovered.
