On Jeju, police officer referred to prosecutors in case over closing missing persons cases
On South Korea’s Jeju Island, a police officer surnamed Boo was referred to prosecutors in custody in a case involving the alleged improper closure of missing persons investigations. According to The Korea Herald, the officer allegedly claimed to have contacted two missing people and closed their cases, although both were later found dead.
Police referred Boo to prosecutors on suspicion of falsifying and using official electronic records, obstructing the performance of official duties by deception, and neglecting official duties. The Jeju District Prosecutors’ Office has formed a separate team to investigate the case.
The police officer’s explanation
According to a Jeju Provincial Police Agency representative, Boo told investigators that he took cases involving missing adults lightly and closed them due to the workload associated with handling pending investigations. Five profilers who spoke with the officer concluded that accumulated workload and responsibility caused fatigue and negligence. At the same time, they pointed to his avoidant and irresponsible attitude toward his duties.
Law enforcement officers found no personal conflicts or other external factors that could have motivated such actions. From March 10, 2025, to July 23 this year, Boo closed 298 missing persons cases—about 11% of all such reports on Jeju during that period. The number of cases he closed was approximately three times higher than the average per officer, although some investigations were handled jointly by several police officers.
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Two missing people died
The investigation began after the family of 37-year-old Jang Mi-ran, who disappeared on May 15, filed another report. Boo closed her case, stating that he had allegedly contacted her and that the woman did not want to disclose her location. Investigators found no evidence of such contact. According to police, Boo later entered information into the system claiming that Jang had died in a traffic accident in order to remove the case from the active list. The woman was found dead on August 24 at a palm farm in western Jeju.
Another case concerns a man in his 60s whose disappearance was reported on July 2. The police officer also allegedly falsely stated that he had contacted him. After the search resumed, the man was found dead on August 22.
Review of other cases
While reviewing all 298 cases closed by Boo, police identified another 10 instances in which investigations were terminated without contact with the missing people or confirmation of their safety. Investigators later contacted all ten, and they confirmed that they were safe.
In another 15 cases, missing people were found alive, but Boo, according to police, entered false reasons for closing the investigations into the profiling system. The records cited death in a traffic accident, murder, or other circumstances of death. Separately, law enforcement officers are reviewing 63 reports that were deleted from the system shortly after being entered or were not entered into it at all. Police stressed that they do not consider all these cases to have been improperly handled and are continuing the review jointly with prosecutors.
