Boyfriend Says "She Always Said the Place Was Scary"... The 'Mystery' Surrounding the Death of Jang Miran

Residents Raise Questions About the Structure of Canary Palms

Police Continue Investigation Including Mobile Phone Forensics

In Jeju, the body of Jang Miran (aged 37), who had been missing for 104 days, was discovered dead at a palm tree farm near her accommodation, raising ongoing questions about the circumstances of her death. The police have so far found no evidence of homicide or any other criminal activity and are focusing on the possibility of suicide. However, local residents and those close to Jang argue that drawing any conclusion is premature, citing the location of the discovery and the structure of the palm trees.

Police discovered the body of Jang Miran, who had been missing for several months, at a palm tree farm in Suwon-ri, Hallim-eup, Jeju City on the 24th and are conducting an on-site investigation. Photo by Yonhap News.

According to Jeju Metropolitan Police Agency on August 26, the female body found at a palm tree farm in Suwon-ri, Hallim-eup, Jeju City, on August 24, was identified as Jang through dental examination. The body was significantly decomposed, with fingerprints lost, and police are also conducting DNA tests. The autopsy reportedly found no unusual fractures or external trauma caused by external force.

The police, based on the posture and location of the body at the time of discovery, currently judge the likelihood of homicide or criminal involvement to be low. While they are focusing on the possibility that Jang took her own life by hanging, the exact cause of death has not yet been determined. Police are keeping all possibilities open and are conducting a thorough investigation into the precise cause of death, including forensics on Jang's mobile phone.

As news spread regarding the location where the body was found, numerous questions have been raised online. The most contentious issue concerns the presence of densely packed Canary Island date palms at the site. One resident, who disclosed living about 500 meters from the scene, claimed on an online community forum that the farm is overgrown with poorly managed Canary Island date palms.

This resident explained that the leaves of these palms are sharp and hard, resembling thorns, making the area difficult to access. Furthermore, the trees lack thick horizontal branches like ordinary trees, making it hard even for an adult male to tie a rope to higher parts without specialized equipment. Other residents have similarly questioned online whether these palms—appearing like ordinary trees at first glance—actually have a structure suitable for someone to hang a rope from, given their trunk-and-leaf-centered structure.

"It was a place she said she found frightening" — Jang’s partner also questions the circumstances

Testimony from someone close to Jang indicates that she typically avoided the area. In a media interview, Jang’s boyfriend stated that the site where her body was discovered was a place she used to describe as "frightening" whenever she passed by, adding, "I don’t understand why she was found there." The direction she headed after leaving her accommodation just before she went missing, as well as the location where her body was found, remain points of suspicion.

On the 24th, the body of Jang Mi-ran, who had been missing for several months, was found in Hallim-eup, Jeju City. The police are restricting access to the palm tree farm in Suwon-ri where the body was discovered. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

Jang was last seen on closed-circuit CCTV leaving her long-term accommodation at around 10:15 p.m. on May 12. It is known that she headed towards Hallim-eup town center, which has restaurants and shops she frequently visited. In contrast, her body was found deeper inside a palm farm along a rural road, an area with little street lighting and lacking CCTV coverage.

Most notably, the proximity of the discovery site to Jang’s accommodation heightens the mystery. Her body was found at a palm tree farm located roughly 400 meters in a straight line from her accommodation—a walking distance of about five minutes. The site is not a remote or inaccessible mountainous area, but rather along a farm road accessible to both local residents and vehicles.

Expert: “No matter the circumstances, conclusions shouldn’t be rushed”

An expert has also stated that it is too early to draw conclusions regarding the cause of death. In a CBS radio interview on the 25th, Pyo Changwon, head of the Institute for Criminological Sciences, pointed out that it is difficult to reach any conclusion based solely on information currently released. Pyo explained that while the possibility of suicide by hanging should be carefully considered if signs are present, it’s essential to examine comprehensively for third-party involvement, whether the body was moved or abandoned, and any evidence remaining at the scene. He stressed that, given the decomposition over a long period, results from the National Forensic Service’s autopsy and scientific investigation will be crucial.

Sergeant A, who is accused of falsifying the closure of a missing person case (neglect of duty, forgery and use of false official documents, obstruction of official duties by deception), is leaving the Jeju District Court on the 25th after completing the pre-arrest suspect interrogation (warrant hearing). Photo by Yonhap News

So far, the police investigation has found no conclusive evidence of homicide, such as traces of a physical altercation or external trauma indicating external force. Therefore, the suspicions raised online alone are not sufficient to conclude the possibility of homicide as fact. On the other hand, because the body had decomposed significantly—making injury marks difficult to confirm—and the location and circumstances of Jang’s movements before she was found remain unclear, many argue that the investigation should leave open all possibilities until the exact cause of death is clarified.

Meanwhile, the deputy police sergeant who initially handled the case was arrested on August 25. Jeju District Court issued an arrest warrant for the deputy sergeant on charges of neglect of duty, forgery and use of false official documents, and obstruction of official duties by deception, citing concerns about flight risk and destruction of evidence. The sergeant is also accused of falsely closing another missing person case involving a man in his 60s, who was also recently found dead.

The police are now reviewing other cases handled by the deputy sergeant while working in the missing persons investigation team to determine if there are additional instances of abnormal case closures. Whether the case truly involved no crime, as the police currently believe, or whether circumstances yet to be uncovered exist, will need to be determined through further investigation including mobile phone forensics, National Forensic Service testing, and reconstruction of the scene.

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