Four missing individuals have been found dead on the South Korean holiday island of Jeju, as police face intense public scrutiny over their handling of missing persons cases.
The deepening scandal intensified with the arrest of a police sergeant, identified by his surname Bu, who is accused of providing false information to victims' families and prematurely closing investigations. In response to the growing public outcry, four officers within the sergeant's supervisory chain have been placed on administrative leave.
President Lee Jae Myung has ordered a comprehensive reform of the national police force.
Since Saturday, authorities have discovered four bodies on the island. Among them is the body of 37-year-old Jang Mi-ran, who was reported missing in May. Her remains were found on Monday at a palm tree farm approximately 500 meters from her last known location. Authorities are investigating her death as a suspected suicide. Reports indicate that Sergeant Bu may have closed Jang's case prematurely, allegedly telling her boyfriend that he had spoken with her and she did not wish to communicate with him.
Police also located the body of a man in his 60s from Jeju City on Saturday. This individual had been reported missing on June 28. Sergeant Bu had reportedly closed his case, informing his family that the man was found safe but wished to keep his location private. "We believed the police when they said my father was safe and waited, but after 51 days, what returned was his body," the man's son stated to reporters.
It remains unclear if Sergeant Bu was involved in the cases of the two other bodies found in recent days in coastal villages.
Investigators are now reviewing nearly 300 missing persons reports handled by Sergeant Bu. Jeju Island is a popular tourist destination, attracting over 13 million visitors annually. While South Korea has a low violent crime rate, its suicide rates are among the highest globally.
Experts suggest that the island's low crime rate may contribute to missing persons cases not being treated with sufficient urgency. "After experiencing on the field that the absolute majority of missing adults are found quickly, [the officers] tend to assume all cases are like that," said Lee Yung-hyeock, a professor specializing in police science at Konkuk University, in comments to Yonhap news agency. Each year, more than 70,000 adults are reported missing in South Korea, with approximately 99% of these cases resolved within a month.