Jeju missing persons scandal: Police say South Korea cop closed missing persons cases to avoid work

A South Korean police officer allegedly falsified missing persons cases to avoid additional work, authorities revealed on September 1. The officer, identified as Bu, closed over two dozen cases, including two that ultimately led to deaths, according to Jeju Police Agency detective Jung Tae-woon. This scandal came to light after four bodies were discovered on the island of Jeju in August, sparking calls for police accountability.

One of the cases involved 37-year-old Jang Mi-ran, whose body was found eight months after she was reported missing by her boyfriend. Another involved a man in his 60s. Bu was arrested last week on charges of recording Jang's death as a traffic accident while claiming he had contacted her and did not wish to be found. Jeju Police Agency detective Jung Tae-woon stated that Bu was primarily driven by work-related negligence due to accumulated workload pressures and fatigue associated with increased responsibilities.

The police found that Bu falsely closed an additional 25 cases without verifying the missing individuals' whereabouts or deleting records of their deaths. All 25 individuals in those cases were eventually found safe.