Police Change Stance on Jeju Missing Woman's Death, Citing Undetermined Cause: "We Are Reflecting"

The police have announced that the cause of death remains undetermined for a woman surnamed Chang, who was found dead 104 days after being reported missing in Jeju.

Hong Seok-ki, head of the National Office of Investigation under the Korean National Police Agency, stated during a press briefing today, "It has been confirmed as an undetermined cause of death due to the decomposition of the body," adding, "We are investigating with all possibilities open."

This content contradicts the police's initial announcement presuming suicide.

On the 24th, when Chang's body was discovered, the police stated, "Judging by the posture and location of the body, we assess the possibility of homicide to be low."

Following the autopsy results from the National Forensic Service, they had also explained that they presumed Chang died by hanging from a palm tree.

Prompted by the false closure of the Jeju missing person case, the police are conducting a comprehensive review of approximately 310,000 missing person cases closed over the past three years.

In particular, priority is being given to reviewing cases that were closed non-face-to-face without investigators meeting the missing persons in person.

Hong reported that as of the 28th, about 15,100 cases had been reviewed, and no instances reported to have critical issues have been found so far.

He went on to say, "There were sloppy investigations, both large and small," adding, "Not only was there deviance from some personnel in charge, but the command and supervision by managers did not function properly, and we are reflecting on this."

At the same time, he stated that accountability would be demanded for investigators who neglected or abused their investigative powers, as well as commanders who failed to fulfill their command and supervisory responsibilities.

Reported by Park Se-won | Video by Kim Min-ji | Graphics by Lee Jung-joo | Produced by SBS Digital News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.