Jeju Police under investigation after multiple missing persons found dead

Jeju Island missing persons police misconduct investigation failure South Korea

A major investigation has been launched in Jeju, South Korea, following the discovery of multiple bodies of individuals previously reported missing. The discovery of 37-year-old Jang Mi-ran's body in a palm tree plantation 104 days after her disappearance has triggered intense scrutiny of local police conduct.

A police officer from the Jeju West Police Station is accused of falsely closing Jang's case by claiming contact had been made, despite no such contact occurring. The officer is under investigation for dereliction of duty, forgery of public electronic records, and obstruction of justice. Investigations revealed the officer had handled approximately 298 missing person cases during a 1.5-year tenure, and similar patterns of false closures were noted in the case of a man in his 60s, who was also found dead.

In total, four bodies of missing persons were discovered on Jeju Island within a three-day period. The police response has faced severe criticism, including the failure to preserve critical 112 emergency call recordings and CCTV footage, which was automatically deleted due to standard retention periods. In response, the Acting Commissioner of the Korean National Police Agency has apologized, acknowledging systemic failures. The Jeju West Police Station leadership has been placed on standby, and authorities are now working to extend CCTV retention periods and implement AI-based coastal monitoring to prevent future lapses.

Entities

Democratic Party of Korea · Hallim-eup · Han Dong-hoon · Hong Seok-ki · Jang Mi-ran · Jeju District Court · Jeju Island · Jeju Police Agency · Jeju Provincial Police Agency · Jeju Seobu Police Station · Jeju West Police Station · Jeju Western Police Station

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[● 18 SOURCES] The officer is accused of falsely claiming to have made contact with 37-year-old Jang Mi-ran to close her missing person case in May. www.ijejutoday.com · www.jejumaeil.net · www.jejusori.net · www.womennews.co.kr · blockchainseoul.kr · +2 more
[● 6 SOURCES] The officer allegedly bypassed protocol by closing the Jang Mi-ran case without reporting the action to a supervisor. blockchainseoul.kr · www.jejumaeil.net
[● 19 SOURCES] A police officer from the Jeju Seobu Police Station was arrested on charges of dereliction of duty, forgery of public electronic records, and obstruction of official duties. www.ijejutoday.com · www.jejumaeil.net · www.jejusori.net · www.womennews.co.kr · blockchainseoul.kr · +3 more
[● 16 SOURCES] A man in his 60s was found dead 51 days after his initial missing person report was filed on July 2. www.ijejutoday.com · www.jejumaeil.net · www.jejusori.net · www.womennews.co.kr · h21.hani.co.kr · +1 more
[● 19 SOURCES] The officer allegedly closed a separate case involving a man in his 60s by falsely claiming the individual refused to meet police and did not want his location shared. www.ijejutoday.com · www.jejumaeil.net · www.jejusori.net · www.womennews.co.kr · blockchainseoul.kr · +4 more
[● 7 SOURCES] Police have applied for an arrest warrant for the officer due to concerns of evidence destruction and flight risk. www.jejusori.net · blockchainseoul.kr · www.womennews.co.kr · www.jejumaeil.net · www.sportalkorea.com
[● 14 SOURCES] The officer also allegedly deleted data from the missing person profiling system. www.jejumaeil.net · blockchainseoul.kr · www.womennews.co.kr · www.pannchoa.com · www.sportalkorea.com
[● 14 SOURCES] A body presumed to be Jang Mi-ran was discovered in a forest near Hallim-eup on August 24. blockchainseoul.kr · www.joongboo.com · www.hani.co.kr · h21.hani.co.kr · www.jejumaeil.net · +2 more
[● 3 SOURCES] The Jeju Western Police Station officially requested access to the CCTV footage on August 19.
[● 18 SOURCES] A police officer falsely closed the disappearance case of Jang Mi-ran by claiming contact had been made with her. www.hani.co.kr · www.pannchoa.com · blockchainseoul.kr · www.jejumaeil.net · www.ijejutoday.com · +8 more
[● 9 SOURCES] The officer involved is under investigation for dereliction of duty, forgery of public electronic records, and obstruction of justice. www.jejumaeil.net · www.jejusori.net · www.womennews.co.kr · blockchainseoul.kr · www.sportalkorea.com · +3 more
[DISPUTED] The body of Jang Mi-ran was discovered 101 days after her disappearance near a farm in Jeju. www.hani.co.kr · h21.hani.co.kr · blockchainseoul.kr · www.pannchoa.com · www.imaeil.com