Four bodies found on Jeju as police missing‑person scandal deepens
Jeju, South Korea’s most popular tourist destination, is now at the centre of a national crisis. Authorities have recovered the remains of four people—including the 37‑year‑old Jang Mi‑ran—after a police sergeant was accused of prematurely closing missing‑person cases.
The controversy began last week when a search for a woman missing for months was hailed as belated. The police’s failure to investigate early led to growing public outrage. Shortly afterward, Sergeant Bu (surname), who had handled the case, was arrested on allegations of lying to families and shutting cases without sufficient evidence.
Four officers in Bu’s chain of command have been placed on administrative leave. In response, President Lee Jae‑Myung ordered a sweeping overhaul of the police force, citing “serious problems in discipline and public safety.” The National Assembly’s emergency hearing held on Monday confirmed that “there is a fault in the system,” according to the national police chief.
The bodies were found over the past 48 hours: Jang’s at a palm‑tree farm 500 metres from her residence, a man in his 60s in Jeju City after a 28 June disappearance, and two others in coastal villages. Police are now scrutinising almost 300 missing‑person reports that Bu handled.
Jeju’s status as a tourism hotspot—13 million visitors last year—means the scandal’s fallout is magnified. While violent crime remains low, South Korea’s suicide rate is among the highest globally, a factor that may explain why missing‑person cases are often under‑investigated.
Konkuk University professor Lee Yung‑hyeock told Yonhap that officers, believing most missing adults return quickly, may take “no‑action” for many cases. He warned that such complacency “can have tragic consequences.”
The scandal arrives at a politically sensitive moment. Recent reform transferred full investigative power from prosecutors to police to curb political influence, but the move has been unpopular due to longstanding accusations of corruption and incompetence.
With the public demanding greater accountability, the crisis could reshape how missing‑person investigations are conducted across South Korea.
