Jeju police officer arrested for falsifying missing person reports

A police officer from the Jeju Seobu Police Station has been urgently arrested for allegedly falsifying records to close missing person cases without verifying the subjects' safety. The officer, identified as Sergeant A, faces charges including dereliction of duty, forgery of public electronic records, and obstruction of justice.

The investigation began following the disappearance of 37-year-old Jang Mi-ran in May. Despite her whereabouts remaining unknown, Sergeant A reportedly informed superiors and the victim's partner that contact had been made, leading to the case being closed in July. It was later discovered that the officer had also deleted data from the missing person profiling system.

A second case involving a man, identified as B, was also found to have been falsely closed by the same officer. After his family re-reported the disappearance, B was discovered deceased in Jeju on August 22, approximately 51 days after his initial disappearance.

The incident has sparked calls for legislative reform. Critics point to a legal loophole where healthy adults are classified as ‘runaways’ rather than high-priority missing persons, limiting police authority to conduct mandatory searches or track locations. In response, the Jeju Provincial Police Agency is implementing new protocols requiring manager approval for closing missing person files and is conducting a full audit of the officer's previous cases.