Jeju officer admits closing missing person cases to avoid workload

A Jeju Provincial Police officer admitted to prematurely closing multiple missing person cases to avoid increased workload, according to an announcement on Tuesday. This admission came after it was discovered that the officer had shut down the case without confirming the whereabouts of Jang Mi-ran, a 37-year-old woman who had been missing for several months.

Police spokespersons stated that they had recently removed all four officers involved in the chain of command at Jeju Seobu Police Station from their duties while an investigation took place.

Following the discovery of Jang's body at a palm farm on Jeju Island, an autopsy confirmed that it was indeed hers. Initial findings suggested she had died by hanging; however, later analysis revealed that the cause of death could not be determined due to decomposition. The officer responsible for handling the Jang Mi-ran case also faced accusations of closing another missing person case in a similar fashion in July.

That individual, in his 60s, was found dead 51 days after being reported missing. Doubts surrounding the fairness of police investigations intensified following these revelations.