Jang Mi-ran, 37, who went missing in Jeju, was found dead 101 days after her disappearance, with police stating they found no evidence of foul play. However, Jang's boyfriend has disputed this, claiming there was nothing so difficult that she would take her own life.
According to the Jeju Police Agency, a body believed to be Jang's was discovered around 10:46 a.m. on August 24 in a palm forest in Hallim-eup, Jeju City. This marked 101 days since her initial disappearance report on May 15.
The body was found wearing the same clothes Jang had on when she was last seen on CCTV at her accommodation on May 12, along with her mobile phone and gold bracelet. The location was just 400 meters from her lodging and a five-minute walk away. However, a police officer from the missing persons unit, identified as Officer B in his 30s, allegedly closed the case prematurely, missing critical investigative opportunities.
While the police have stated that the position and condition of the body suggest a low likelihood of criminal activity, the circumstances surrounding Jang's death and why she was found in the palm forest remain unclear.
Jang's boyfriend expressed doubts in an interview with JTBC, stating, "There was nothing so difficult that she would take her own life up until the day she went missing." He reported her missing at 6:43 p.m. on May 15, but Officer B falsely claimed to have contacted Jang and confirmed her safety, stating she had asked not to disclose her location, leading to the case being closed.
This false closure resulted in the withdrawal of search personnel, and Officer B even deleted electronic records from the missing persons profiling system. After Jang's family filed a new missing persons report with the Nowon Police Station in Seoul, the investigation resumed, but by then, many public CCTV recordings had been deleted due to expiration.
Had a thorough investigation been conducted sooner, Jang could have potentially been found, leading to public outrage directed at Officer B for missing the critical time frame.
Calls have also emerged for a reform of the police missing persons reporting system. It has been revealed that Officer B had closed over 200 missing cases without proper procedures, raising concerns about whether he provided false information to families in other cases.
According to police protocols, when a missing report is filed, a separate night duty log should be maintained in addition to the missing persons profiling system, which must be reported to superiors the following day. However, there is currently no way to prevent inaccuracies in these logs if the night duty officer is working alone.
Officer B had been working in the missing persons unit for about 19 months until his suspension due to allegations of sexual misconduct on November 11. The police are currently attempting to contact missing persons and their families to determine if there were any other cases improperly closed by Officer B.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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