South Korea's Lee Calls for Greater Police Accountability After Jeju Missing-Person Cases
Police are reviewing 298 missing-person reports after four people were found dead and an officer was detained on dereliction charges, officials said.
- On Tuesday, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung called for greater police accountability regarding missing-person cases on Jeju, stating responsibility must increase alongside the force's expanding investigative authority.
- Public outrage followed the discovery of Jang Mi-ran's body on August 24, 104 days after she vanished, amid allegations that an officer closed her case without confirming her safety.
- Investigators are reviewing all 298 missing-person reports handled by the officer, with about 10 cases being examined for possible improper closure despite the officer's denials.
- Acting National Police Commissioner Yoo Jae-seong apologized and ordered supervisory sign-off on case closures, with the force's investigative role expanding in October following case-management system upgrades.
- More than 70,000 missing-person reports are filed annually, with these reforms coinciding with the Democratic Party's July decision to strip prosecutors of their remaining investigative powers.
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South Korean police have found the bodies of four missing people on Jeju Island since Saturday, including a woman who had been missing since May. South Korean police are currently facing a scandal for prematurely ending the search for missing people, assuming they likely committed suicide.
Need greater police accountability: South Korea's Lee after Jeju missing person cases
Lee Jae Myung urged stronger police accountability after the Jeju missing-person cases sparked outrage. The controversy has intensified scrutiny as police prepare to take on wider investigative powers.
Lee Su-jeong, a professor of criminal psychology at Kyonggi University, pointed out that the police’s assumption that the cause of death of Jang Mi-ran (37), who had been missing for a long time in Jeju, was hanging was “ridiculous.” According to Financial News, Professor Lee wrote on her Facebook on the 25th
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