Jeju police officer accused of prematurely closing missing person cases

The officer falsely claimed he contacted missing persons and prematurely closed their cases on the South Korean holiday island of Jeju.

JEJU — A police officer has partially admitted to allegations that he prematurely closed the missing person case of a woman in her 30s on the southern resort island of Jeju without confirming her safety, police said Friday. While undergoing questioning, the officer admitted to having falsely told the woman's boyfriend, who reported her missing, that she had been contacted and confirmed safe, according to officials at the Jeju Provincial Police Agency. He reportedly admitted after investigators confronted him with an autopsy report that showed the victim may have died at least two days before she was first reported missing on May 15. The body of the victim was found Monday at a palm tree farm near her residence on the island. The officer was placed under formal arrest the following day. The Jeju police earlier said they were examining the officer's shift report from the evening when he received the initial missing report, suspecting he may have intentionally omitted key information from his duty report. Normally, missing person cases, especially those involving women, are reported to hig

JEJU — The police are examining a night shift report drafted by one of its officers suspected of mishandling missing person cases on Jeju Island, the Jeju Provincial Police Agency said Friday. The officer is suspected of having omitted key information in his shift report on an evening shift in May when he received a missing person report on a woman in her 30s, according to officials at the Jeju police agency. Normally, missing person cases, especially those involving women, are reported to higher-ups, often all the way to the Jeju police chief, due to the possibility of the missing persons being subject to crimes, according to the police. The police officer in question is said to have made no such report to his superiors of the missing person case he allegedly closed without confirming the victim's safety. He was placed under formal arrest earlier this week after the victim's body was found Monday at a tree farm near her residence on the island. He is also suspected of having deleted her data from the profile list of missing people, while inserting false information that she had died in

The chief of the Jeju Provincial Police Agency issued a public apology Thursday for the police's mishandling of missing person cases, which recently came to light following the deaths of two individuals on the southern resort island. "I sincerely apologize to the two individuals who were unable to reunite with their families and to their bereaved families," Ko Pyeong-ki said during a command meeting at the agency. "I feel a profound sense of responsibility as the police chief in charge of public safety on Jeju." The apology followed the booking of a police officer 13 days ago on suspicion of prematurely closing the case of 37-year-old Jang Mi-ran who was found dead Monday, more than three months after she was first reported missing. The officer is also suspected of mishandling the case of a man in his 60s, who was found dead Saturday. During the meeting, Ko pledged to thoroughly investigate the cases to leave no suspicions unresolved and to fully disclose the results. He also promised a comprehensive reinvestigation of all missing person cases on Jeju, as well as the establishment of mul

Interior Minister Yun Ho-jung apologized Wednesday over the alleged police mishandling of a missing person case on the southern resort island of Jeju, vowing a thorough investigation into the allegations. The incident has drawn nationwide attention after a police officer was found to have closed the case in May, without confirming the missing woman's safety. Her body was found Monday after police launched an intensive search for her last week. "Along with the police leadership, (I) sincerely apologize to the public," Yun said in a meeting with senior police officials. "The truth behind the Jeju case must be thoroughly uncovered." Yun ordered police officials to check whether the case could possibly be connected to even more serious misconduct, and inspect other missing person cases across the country for possible wrongdoings. He also said the case exposed a structural flaw in how police handle missing person cases, and called for a broader inspection of the current system for improvements. The police officer in charge of the case was found to have closed it hours after her boyfriend repor