[REVISION HISTORY]

Jeju police scandal and subsequent safety reforms

Updated 48 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-09-18 07:24 UTC → 2026-10-08 10:33 UTC · added ~~removed~~

The discovery of Jang Mi-ran’s body on August 24, after 104 days missing, triggered a major scandal involving the Jeju Police Agency. Investigations revealed that Officer Bu (referred to as Sergeant A) of the Jeju Seobu Police Station closed 298 adult missing person cases between March 2023 and July 2024, accounting for approximately 28.4% of all such reports in Jeju during that period. Sergeant A used administrator mode to enter false reasons, such as ‘traffic accident casualty,’ to delete records and avoid the administrative burden of case management. These actions included 141 reports involving individuals protected under the Missing Children Act. On September 9, 2026, the Jeju District Prosecutors' Office launched a multi-day search and seizure operation targeting the Jeju Provincial Police Agency and the Jeju Seobu Police Station, seizing materials including online messenger conversations. By September 17, the officer was indicted under detention for charges including dereliction of duty, forgery of official documents, and violations of the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection. In specific instances, the officer reported contact with missing individuals, such as a woman in her 30s and a man in his 60s, without verifying their safety; both were later found dead. The prosecution is now investigating systemic failures, noting that mandatory joint reviews were conducted ‘perfunctorily via group chats’ and that supervisory oversight was insufficient. Following an audit of the 298 cases, authorities identified 25 additional instances of improper conduct or unauthorized profile deletions. ~~The police are currently working on institutional reforms to strengthen~~ As of October 2026, the ~~approval processes~~ sergeant has been recommended for ~~closing missing persons cases.~~ dismissal, the highest level of disciplinary action. While the officer remains in custody facing charges including forgery of electronic records, his first trial is scheduled for October 14.

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