Jeju officer admits closing missing person cases to avoid workload

On Tuesday, the Jeju Provincial Police revealed that a police officer on the island had admitted to prematurely closing multiple missing person cases in order to avoid the additional workload of keeping them open. This admission sparked controversy after it came to light that the officer had closed a case without verifying the location of Jang Mi-ran, a 37-year-old woman who had been missing for several months.

Following this disclosure, the police announced that they had removed all four officers in the chain of command from Jeju Seobu Police Station from their duties while an investigation into the matter was ongoing.

An autopsy conducted on the body found at a palm farm on Jeju Island subsequently confirmed that it belonged to Jang Mi-ran. Initially, the cause of death was believed to be due to hanging, but later analysis revealed that the cause could not be determined due to the body's decomposition. The situation further deteriorated when it was revealed that the officer responsible for the Jang Mi-ran case had been accused of closing another missing person case in a similar manner in July. This individual, in his sixties, was found dead 51 days after being reported missing.