Prosecutors indict Jeju police officer over mishandling of missing person cases
JEJU — Prosecutors on Friday indicted a police officer on charges of fraudulently closing missing person cases on the southern resort island of Jeju earlier this year. The 34-year-old, who was placed under arrest last month, is accused of closing a case of a woman in her 30s, surnamed Jang, after fraudulently reporting that he had come into contact with her, shortly after she was reported missing…
On Friday, prosecutors indicted a 34-year-old police officer on Jeju Island for fraudulently closing two missing person cases this year. The officer, who was arrested last month, is accused of closing a case involving a woman in her 30s, known as Jang, after falsely claiming he had made contact with her just days after she went missing on May 15. Additionally, he faces charges for closing the case of a 60-year-old man, known as Park, after reporting a false contact with the missing individual on July 2.
According to the Jeju District Prosecutors Office, the officer did not take any steps to locate either of the two individuals who were reported missing. Prosecutors suspect that the officer closed the cases in order to avoid reporting to higher authorities or handling the associated paperwork for transferring the cases to others. Both Jang and Park's bodies were discovered on Jeju Island last month, only days after suspicion of foul play emerged and extensive search operations began.
The incident has sparked significant public outrage over alleged police misconduct, with many demanding accountability for the officer's actions and calling for reforms in handling missing person cases on the southern resort island.
Written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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