Why was a Jeju police officer arrested over missing person cases?

Police suspect the officer closed missing person cases prematurely without confirming the people were safe. The Jeju Provincial Police Agency also said the officer is accused of falsifying official electronic records and obstructing official duties through deceptive means.

What happened to the missing woman Jang Mi-ran in Jeju?

Jang Mi-ran, 37, has not been found more than three months after her family reported her missing. Police and the Coast Guard started a full-scale search for her on Thursday.

What did investigators find about the officer’s claim that he contacted Jang Mi-ran?

The officer said he closed Jang’s case after telling supervisors that he had spoken with her. A recent investigation found no call records between the two.

Police officer under arrest for prematurely closing missing person cases in Jeju

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Summary

A police officer in Jeju was placed under emergency arrest on suspicion of prematurely closing a missing person case without confirming a woman’s safety. Police said the officer was detained the previous day on suspicion of dereliction of duty, falsifying official electronic records, and obstruction of official duties through deceptive means. The arrest followed another premature closure case that surfaced after a missing man’s body was found Saturday. The missing woman, 37-year-old Jang Mi-ran, has not been found more than three months after she was reported missing.

Key Facts

The Jeju Provincial Police Agency said the officer was detained without a warrant the previous day.
The officer is suspected of dereliction of duty, falsifying official electronic records, and obstruction of official duties through deceptive means.
The missing woman, 37-year-old Jang Mi-ran, has been missing for more than three months after being reported missing by her family.
Police and the Coast Guard began a full-scale search for Jang on Thursday.

By Yonhap

Published Aug 23, 2026 9:52 am KST

Police officers prepare for a full-scale search for Jang Mi-ran, a 37-year-old woman missing since May, at Hallim Harbor on the southern island of Jeju, Aug. 20. Yonhap

JEJU — police officer suspected of closing a missing person case without confirming the woman's safety has been placed under emergency arrest, police said Sunday.

The officer was detained without a warrant the previous day on suspicion of dereliction of duty, falsifying official electronic records, and obstruction of official duties through deceptive means, according to the Jeju Provincial Police Agency.

The emergency arrest was made after the officer was found to have closed another missing person case prematurely, revealed through the discovery of the man's body on Saturday.

The missing woman, 37-year-old Jang Mi-ran, has yet to be found, more than three months after she was initially reported missing by her family.

In both cases, the police officer is suspected of arbitrarily closing them after telling the families that the missing people were safe.

The officer has claimed that he closed Jang's case after reporting to supervisors that he spoke with her, but a recent investigation found no call records between the two.

The police and the Coast Guard began a full-scale search for Jang on Thursday.

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