Jeju Missing Person Found Decomposed, Cause of Death Unclear... "All Possibilities Remain Open"

Priority Review of Non Face-to-Face Closures in Missing Person Cases

The police have announced that, although the precise cause of death cannot be determined due to the decomposition of the body of a woman in her 30s who was found dead three months after going missing in Jeju, they will keep all possibilities open in their investigation.

Seokki Hong, Chief of the National Investigation Headquarters at the National Police Agency, stated at a press briefing on the 31st, "It has been confirmed that the cause of death is unknown due to decomposition," adding, "We are investigating with all possibilities in mind to uncover the truth."

Seokki Hong, Chief of the National Investigation Headquarters at the National Police Agency. Photo by Yonhap News

Chief Hong also addressed the growing controversy regarding insufficient investigations in both the Jang Yunki case and the recent Jeju disappearance case, saying, "Not only were some staff members at fault, but the supervisors also failed in their command and oversight," and added, "We are reflecting on this." He continued, "There have been both major and minor investigative lapses, and as the police are about to stand independently, we are well aware of the public's concerns and feel a profound sense of responsibility. While various control measures for police investigations will be established, we will move ahead with strengthening investigative capacities and improving organizational culture even before those measures are in place."

Prompted by the Jeju disappearance case, the police are currently conducting a thorough review of approximately 310,000 missing person cases closed over the past three years. Their goal is to finish the review by the end of November. As of the 28th, around 15,100 cases have been re-examined, with no problematic cases identified so far. Chief Hong said, "For each case, we are confirming whether the case was closed after a face-to-face check or through non-face-to-face means," adding, "We are starting with cases that were closed non-face-to-face."

The full review has also been completed for 298 missing person cases handled by Officer A of the Jeju Western Police Station, who is suspected of falsely closing missing person reports. The Jeju Provincial Police Agency formed a team of about 20 members to review those cases and plans to announce the results of the investigation on September 1. It has been reported that Officer A admitted to some details regarding the false closures during the investigation process. An audit of the supervisors who approved the false reports is also underway.

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