Calls for police accountability in Jeju missing-person cases
SEOUL, South Korea — South Korean President Lee Jae Myung called for greater police accountability after public outrage over the handling of a series of missing-person cases on Jeju island, as reforms are set to give the force a bigger role in criminal investigations, reports BritPanorama.
“Police are likely to wield the greatest power among state institutions,” Lee stated at a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, emphasizing that the public is questioning whether the police can bear such responsibility.
“Responsibility must be strengthened in proportion to the size of the authority,” he added, addressing concerns about the police’s investigative protocols.
Authorities reported that four individuals who were reported missing on Jeju were found dead over a span of three days ending Monday. While the cases were unrelated, two were noted to have been prematurely closed by the same officer without verifying the safety of the missing individuals.
In light of this, police are reviewing all 298 missing-person reports handled by the officer involved. Approximately 10 cases are currently under scrutiny for potential improper closures, according to media reports.
A prominent case involves Jang Mi-ran, a 37-year-old woman whose disappearance became a significant controversy after police allegedly closed her case without confirming her safety. Her body was discovered on Monday, 104 days after she went missing.
Another case involved a man in his sixties, whose family reported him missing again, prompting a renewed search that ended with his body being found.
A court has detained the officer on suspicion of dereliction of duty, falsifying official electronic records, and obstructing official duties, as reported by Yonhap news agency. The officer has denied the charges, claiming that he attempted to contact the missing individuals.
Jeju police declined to comment further on their handling of the cases, which have raised safety concerns and sparked criticism on social media.
Acting National Police Commissioner Yoo Jae-seong offered an apology and promised measures to prevent similar incidents in the future. He noted that supervisory sign-off will be mandated for case closures pending an upgrade to their management system.
“We will examine the entire system and make institutional improvements so that this never happens again,” Yoo asserted, vowing to review all cases processed by the officer.
South Korean police received 70,814 reports of missing adults last year, with numbers exceeding 70,000 annually since 2022, although most cases are resolved within 30 days, according to police data.
This controversy followed the governing Democratic Party’s decision in July to strip prosecutors of their remaining investigative powers, a move attributed to a history of abuse. This change, effective in October, significantly expands the investigative role of the police.
