Four Missing People Found Dead on South Korea's Jeju Island as Police Sergeant Arrested
Four Bodies Discovered on Jeju in Three Days
Four missing people have been found dead on South Korea's holiday island of Jeju in three days, prompting widespread public criticism of local police. [2] The body of 37-year-old Jang Mi-ran, who had gone missing in May, was located on Monday at a palm tree farm about 500 metres from where she was staying. [2] She was believed to have killed herself. [2] Police also found the body of a man in his 60s from Jeju City on Saturday after he had gone missing on 28 June. [2] The same day Jang's remains were discovered, another person previously reported missing was found dead near a valley in Aewol-eup. [5] The following day, a fisherman spotted the body of a man in his 70s in waters off Sinheung-ri, Jocheon-eup. [5] Authorities have not linked the deaths or found evidence of widespread foul play. [5]
Police Sergeant Arrested for Mishandling Cases
A police sergeant surnamed Bu has been arrested after being accused of lying to victims' families and prematurely closing missing persons cases. [2] Bu is suspected to have closed Jang's case prematurely without confirming her whereabouts, allegedly telling her boyfriend that he had spoken to Jang over the phone and she had said she did not wish to speak to her boyfriend. [2] In the case of the man in his 60s, Bu had closed the case and reportedly told the family that the man was found "safe" but "does not wish to disclose his location to the family". [2] The man's son told reporters that the family believed the police and waited, but after 51 days the body was returned. [2] It is not yet clear whether Bu was involved in the missing persons cases for the two other bodies found in coastal villages in recent days. [2] Police are now examining all the missing persons reports that Bu had handled, which number nearly 300. [2] Four officers in the sergeant's chain of command have been put on administrative leave. [2]
President Orders Sweeping Police Reform
On Tuesday President Lee Jae Myung ordered a sweeping reform of the police force during a Cabinet meeting. [2] He stated that "the recent breakdown in police discipline and irresponsibility in public safety matters have become serious problems". [2] The president pointed out that the police are likely to wield the most power out of all the state's institutions and said "the Korean people are questioning whether [the police] deserve this large power". [2] South Korea's national police chief was grilled by lawmakers at an emergency National Assembly hearing on Monday, during which he admitted that "there is a fault in the system". [2] This scandal comes at a politically sensitive time for South Korea's police, following a recent reform that transferred full investigative power from the prosecutors to the police. [2]
Impact on Jeju Tourism and Public Confidence
The discoveries have shaken public confidence and fueled anxiety online, with some residents and visitors expressing safety concerns. [5] A Jeju resident surnamed Cho, who runs a short-term rental business, wrote on Instagram that many people come to Jeju to stay for several months and some tenants are canceling their leases following the recent incidents. [5] Doctor Hong Hye-geol, who has lived on the island for seven years, posted on Instagram that deserted roads can be found even without venturing deep into Hallasan and recommended against going around alone. [5] Some social media users spoke of canceling trips, with one writing they had canceled wedding photos in Gujwa and another calling for a boycott until the police officer's actions are addressed. [5] Tourism operators are growing concerned as the island already faces a decline in domestic visitors. [5] According to the Jeju Tourism Organization, 963,401 domestic travelers visited in July, down 12.4 percent from 1,100,021 a year earlier, marking the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020 that the monthly domestic visitor count fell below 1 million. [5] From Aug. 1-23, Jeju received an average of 35,295 domestic visitors per day, about 300 fewer than the same period a year earlier. [5] A guesthouse operator named Bang has received frequent calls from guests concerned about safety, and one group of three guests canceled their reservation. [5] According to data from the Korean National Police Agency, the island recorded the country's highest crime rate in 2024, at 4,539.6 crimes per 100,000 people. [5]
Context of Missing Persons Handling in South Korea
Jeju is one of South Korea's most popular tourist destinations and received more than 13 million foreign and domestic visitors last year. [2] While violent crime is rare in South Korea, suicide rates are among the highest in the world. [2] Some experts have said the low crime rate is part of the reason why missing persons cases are not taken seriously. [2] Professor Lee Yung-hyeock, specialising in police science at Konkuk University, told Yonhap news agency that after experiencing that the absolute majority of missing adults are found quickly, officers tend to assume all cases are like that. [2] While more than 70,000 adults are reported missing in South Korea each year, 99% of them are marked as resolved within a month. [2]
What to watch next is the outcome of the police review of nearly 300 cases handled by the sergeant and any further steps in the sweeping reform ordered by President Lee Jae Myung.
