(LEAD) Jeju police officer partially admits to alleged mishandling of missing person case

A police officer in Jeju, South Korea, has partially admitted to allegations of mishandling a missing person case involving a woman in her 30s. During questioning, the officer admitted to falsely informing the woman's boyfriend that she had been found safe, according to officials at the Jeju Provincial Police Agency. This admission came after investigators discovered an autopsy report suggesting the victim may have died at least two days before she was first reported missing on May 15.

The victim's body was discovered on Monday at a palm tree farm near her residence on the island. The officer was placed under formal arrest the following day. Initially, the police were investigating whether the officer intentionally omitted key information from his duty report, as missing person cases, particularly those involving women, are often reported to higher-ups for further examination.

However, the officer is now also suspected of deleting the victim's data from the missing people profile and inserting false information claiming she died in a car accident.

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