PM suggests external reform body to overhaul police after Jeju death

Prime Minister Han Seong-sook suggested the formation of an external body to oversee comprehensive police reforms following a series of high-profile failures in handling missing person cases, particularly the tragic death of Jang Mi-ran on Jeju Island. During a press conference, she stated that while internal reforms within the police force are essential, a special body responsible for examining the organization's overall structure and governance should ideally be established outside the police.

President Lee Jae Myung had instructed the Prime Minister's Office to prepare a proposal for such a body following revelations about significant issues in police procedures, supervision, and organizational culture that were exposed by several missing person cases on Jeju Island. The controversy surrounding the Jang Mi-ran case, in which a police officer reportedly closed her disappearance case prematurely, has sparked calls for urgent changes in police accountability and oversight.