"Jeju Missing Woman in Her 30s" - Police's False Report Caused Search Golden Time to Be Missed

Gathering Private CCTV Footage from Restaurants and Accommodations
Missing Person Case Was Closed Due to False Police Report

It has been three months since Jang Miran, a woman in her 30s, went missing in Jeju, and recent reports state that misleading reports by the police caused the critical golden window for the search to be missed, resulting in difficulties in the investigation.

Jang Miran, missing for three months since last May in Jeju. Provided by Jang Miran's family.

According to Newsis on August 19, footage from surrounding public closed-circuit televisions (CCTVs), where the storage period is typically limited to 30 days, can no longer assist the investigation into Jang's disappearance, as the storage period has already expired.

Public CCTVs usually include surveillance cameras for crime prevention and traffic information collection, operated by the control center for local security and safety. As of the initial report received on May 15, CCTV cameras around Jang's residence and along nearby roads were functioning and footage was preserved. However, Officer A, who was on night duty at the time, falsely reported to a superior that "they had made contact with the subject of the report," and closed the case under false pretenses.

As a result, no initial response or verification of Jang's whereabouts was conducted until her family re-reported her disappearance on July 19. By the time it was recognized as a long-term missing case, there was no longer any CCTV footage available to trace Jang's movements. The police estimate her last known location was near Hallim Port and are approaching nearby restaurants and accommodations to collect privately operated CCTV footage. Only a very limited amount of private CCTV footage recorded after Jang left her home on May 13 appears to remain.

According to Newsis, a nearby resident, identified as A, said, "For about a month now, police cars have been seen coming and going frequently, and officers have been asking questions, showing photographs and asking 'Have you seen this person?' on multiple occasions. They've also copied footage from CCTVs at the local accommodations several times." The resident added, "I wondered if the sailors had caused an accident or if something serious had happened, but I was not told any details."

The police are mobilizing all available resources to search the coastline near Hallim Port, while also investigating whether Officer A ever actually spoke with Jang. Officer A is also under investigation for entering the women's restroom at the police station in violation of the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Crimes, and has since been suspended from duty.

Meanwhile, according to Jang's family, she left her home in Hallim-eup, Jeju City, late on the evening of May 12 or in the early hours of May 13, and has been missing since then. At the time of her disappearance, Jang was described as having long straight hair, being about 158 cm tall (estimated), slender in build, and wearing a gold bracelet. She is also characterized by a playful way of speaking. No activity has been detected with her bank card, mobile phone, or any medical records since she went missing.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.