Prosecutors raid police offices over alleged mishandling of missing person cases
Summary
Prosecutors raided police offices in Jeju and Seoul on Tuesday over suspicions that a Jeju officer prematurely closed missing person cases and falsified records. The searches targeted the Jeju Provincial Police Agency, Jeju Seobu Police Station and National Police Agency headquarters. Investigators will examine the police profiling system and whether senior officials properly supervised the case handling.
Key Facts
- The Jeju Provincial Police Agency recently found 25 other cases that the officer had improperly closed between March 2025 and July 2026.
- The officer allegedly entered the missing person system in administrator mode, inserted false reasons for the disappearances and then deleted records.
- The missing cases involved a woman in her 30s surnamed Jang in May and a man in his 60s in July, and both bodies were later found on the island.
Prosecutors raid the Jeju Seobu Police Station, Tuesday, over suspicions a police officer prematurely closed missing person cases on the Jeju Island and falsified system records. Yonhap
JEJU — Prosecutors on Tuesday raided multiple police agencies over suspicions a police officer prematurely closed missing person cases on the southern island of Jeju and falsified system records, officials said.
The Jeju District Prosecutors Office conducted searches at the Jeju Provincial Police Agency, the Jeju Seobu Police Station and the National Police Agency headquarters in Seoul, according to police and prosecution officials.
The raids come after a police officer on Jeju was found to have prematurely closed at least two missing person cases involving a woman in her 30s surnamed Jang in May and a man in his 60s in July — without verifying their safety.
Both people's bodies were found on the island in recent weeks.
The prosecutors office said investigators will look into the police's profiling system for missing people to determine how it is operated, as the officer in question allegedly entered the system in administrator mode and inputted false reasons for the missing people's disappearance before deleting the records.
The investigation could also examine whether senior police officials exercised proper supervision.
Separately, the Jeju Provincial Police Agency recently discovered 25 other cases improperly closed by the officer between March 2025 and July 2026 and began an investigation into them.
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