Scandal Over False Closure of Missing Persons Cases Expands... Eight Including Jeju Western Police Executives Under Investigation

Eight, Including Former Criminal Investigation Chiefs, Booked for Dereliction of Duty
All Suspended, Including Detained Officer A
Broad Review Uncovers 25 Additional Suspected Cases

Following the unprecedented incident in which a police officer from the Missing Persons Team at Jeju Western Police Station was arrested for filing a false case closure related to a missing person, the Jeju Provincial Police Agency—which was assigned the investigation by the internal affairs department—has booked a total of eight individuals on charges of dereliction of duty, including former heads of the criminal investigation division and team leaders, as well as team members involved in the investigation. The agency has now launched an intensive investigation.

Jeju Provincial Police Agency. Photo by Changwon Park.

According to the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Investigation Unit of the Jeju Provincial Police Agency on September 18, the individuals under investigation for dereliction of duty include two former heads of the criminal investigation division at Jeju Western Police Station, one leader of the missing persons team, and five team members, totaling eight people. All eight have currently been suspended from their posts.

The scope of the investigation includes Officer A, in his 30s, who was already detained and transferred for prosecution on September 1 on charges of dereliction of duty, falsifying and using electronic official records, and obstructing official duties by fraudulent means.

Officer A is accused of entering false information into the 112 call reporting system and the missing persons profiling system, stating “contact established” despite not actually speaking with the missing persons, while handling a “missing woman in her 30s” case in May and a “missing man in his 60s” case in July. He is suspected of arbitrarily closing the cases as a result.

Regarding his motive, Officer A testified, “I carelessly thought the missing persons were ordinary adults and, faced with the many tasks left unresolved if the cases remained open, I filed the false closure due to the burden of having to transfer responsibility.”

Profilers deployed to investigate the case also analyzed that the crimes occurred as a result of accumulated work fatigue, neglectful work habits, and a combination of avoidant and irresponsible attitudes.

As the scandal escalated, the Jeju Provincial Police Agency launched a broad review of all 298 cases closed by Officer A between March of last year—when he served on the Missing Persons Team—and July of this year. As a result, in addition to the initial two closed cases, they have identified 25 additional instances suspected of false closure or wrongful case dismissal, and are expanding the investigation.

Meanwhile, the National Police Agency’s headquarters has also assigned two former chiefs of Jeju Western Police Station to inactive duty pending a precise internal affairs inquiry into the facts and to determine accountability for command and oversight failures related to this case.

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