The discovery for four bodies of missing persons in the span of three days South Korea's Jeju Island has sparked a massive row and a larger demand of police reform.
In the latest development, a Jeju police officer was accused of wrongfully closing a missing persons case that may have led to a woman's death in the island.
As per Yonhap news agency, an arrest warrant was issued for the officer on charges of dereliction of duty, forgery, falsifying public electronic records and obstruction of official duties through deception.
The disappearance of Jang Mi-ran
The case at the centre of this arrest is the disappearance of 37-year-old Jang Mi-ran.
Jang was reported missing on May 15 by her partner, three days after her disappearance. However, it was learnt that the police officer assigned closed the case hours after the report was filed.
As per Jang's partner, the sergeant told him that Jang was safe and had established contact with her. However, no evidence was provided to the partner.
The cop also alleged that Jang stated she did not want to maintain contact with her partner anymore.
{{/usCountry}}The cop also alleged that Jang stated she did not want to maintain contact with her partner anymore.
{{/usCountry}}98 days after no contact with Jang, another missing persons report was filed for her, which prompted a search.
104 days after she was reported missing, Jang's body was found at a palm farm in Hallim-eup, 400 meters from the accommodation where she had been staying before she went missing.
Over 200 missing cases dismissed without investigation
The officer who was in-charge of the Jang Mi-ran case, Bu, was produced before a court on Wednesday. However, more trouble ensued for local police after three more bodies of missing persons were discovered.
Bu is also under investigation over a second missing-person case involving a man in his 60s who was reported missing on July 2.
As per Korea Herald, the officer gave a similar account to the man's relatives, after which the case was closed and removed. The man's body was found on Saturday.
The same cop, as per investigators, has been responsible for independently closed over 200 missing person cases assigned to him.
The officer involved worked on the missing-person investigation team at Jeju Western Police Station for about 17 months. He was suspended on August 11 over separate allegations involving a sex crime.
Meanwhile, another body was found on Monday near a near a valley in Aewol-eup, in Jeju City. This person had been reported missing as well. A fourth body was found of a man, believed to be in his 70s, in waters near Sinheung-ri in Jocheon-eup, Jeju City, on Sunday. However, a link has not been established between the accused cop and these two bodies found.
Demand for police reform
The missing persons case in Jeju has sparked a larger demand of immediate reforms in the police system in South Korea. Following this case, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency has stated it will begin the review of some 92,800 missing-person reports that were filed and later closed in the capital from January 2024 to August 2026.
As per Seoul police chief Park Jeong-bo, the review will determine if officers missed any cases and closed them without proper investigation and verification.
South Korean President Lee Jae-myung has also ordered a thorough investigation into police handling of the cases and a broader review of how missing-person cases are closed, and the supervision of officers.
"The president instructed authorities to thoroughly establish the facts surrounding the entire police investigation process, while also reviewing the overall system for closing cases and for command and supervision,” said presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung at a press briefing.
Prime Minister Han Seong-sook has also vowed stern punishment for the mishandling of missing person cases.
"We will thoroughly check if there have been unfair and unlawful acts by investigative agencies and issue stern punishment regardless of rank, based on the principle of zero tolerance," she said. "The government will pour in every possible effort to make sure missing person investigations are conducted strictly and fairly," Han wrote on X.
The South Korean prime minister has also ordered the National Police Agency (NPA) to look thoroughly into the handling of all missing person cases across the nation.