President Lee Orders Police Self-Reform After Discovery of Body Believed to Be Jang Miran: "Deeply Devastated"

"Thorough Investigation... Comprehensive Review of Case Closure and Command Systems"
Calls for Institutional Improvements and Fundamental Reforms
Presumed Body Discovered 104 Days After Missing Person Report Filed
Officer Responsible for 'False C

President Lee Jaemyung expressed his "deep sorrow" on the 24th over the discovery of a body believed to be Jang Miran (37), who had gone missing in Jeju, and ordered a thorough investigation to uncover the truth, as well as a review of the entire police system for case closure, command, and supervision. He instructed that the response should not be limited to determining whether an individual police officer acted improperly; instead, institutional improvements and comprehensive reform measures for the police organization itself should be prepared.

Yonhap News

In a briefing, Kang Yoojung, Senior Presidential Spokesperson, stated, "After hearing that a body believed to be the missing person was discovered in Jeju, the President expressed his deep sorrow and regret."

Senior Spokesperson Kang continued, "The President has instructed a thorough investigation throughout the entire police investigation process and a comprehensive review of the systems for case closure, command, and supervision." She added, "He specifically ordered the development of institutional safeguards, fundamental renewal measures, and, moreover, comprehensive reform plans for the police force." This suggests that President Lee regards the incident not merely as an individual case of false reporting by a police officer, but as a structural issue in how missing persons cases are handled and in the system of internal command and supervision.

Jang was last contacted on May 12 after leaving her long-term accommodation in Hallim-eup, Jeju City. On May 15, a missing person report was filed, but Officer A, the officer in charge, allegedly closed the case after informing the reporting party that he had made contact with Jang, and also deleted Jang’s record from the missing persons profiling system. In reality, no record of a call between Jang and the officer was found on Jang’s mobile phone.

Police are carrying out a site investigation after discovering the body of Ms. Jang Miran, who had been missing for several months, at a palm tree farm in Suwon-ri, Hallim-eup, Jeju City, on the 24th. 2026.8.24 Yonhap News Photo by Yonhap News

The police belatedly launched a search and, at around 10:46 a.m. on August 24, discovered a body believed to be Jang’s at a palm tree farm near the accommodation she had stayed at, in Hallim-eup, Jeju City. This came 104 days after the missing person report was filed. The body was in an advanced state of decomposition, and the police plan to determine Jang’s precise identity and cause of death through forensic analysis.

Similar indications of improper case closure were revealed in another missing persons case handled by Officer A. Last month, the case of a missing man in his 60s was also concluded without verifying the person’s whereabouts, and the missing man was found dead on the 22nd. The police have arrested Officer A on the spot for dereliction of duty, falsification of official electronic documents, and related charges.

However, on this day, the Jeju District Court granted Officer A's request for a review of the legality of the arrest and ordered his release. The court determined that the requirement of 'urgency' for a warrantless arrest under criminal procedure law had not been met, given that Officer A’s whereabouts were already known. The police have separately applied for an arrest warrant for Officer A.

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