Another Fake Case Closure Found in Jeju; National Investigation Headquarters Chief Issues Apology

The body of a man in his 60s was found in a certain area of Jeju yesterday (August 22).

He was identified as Mr. A, who had been reported missing 51 days ago. After seeing the Jang Mi-ran missing persons case, Mr. A's family filed another missing persons report with the police, prompting a reinvestigation. The body was found within a day through mobile phone location tracking.

The police officer originally in charge of this case was Police Inspector B of the Jeju Western Police Station, the same officer who handled the case of Jang Mi-ran, who has been missing for three months.

Last month on July 2, Police Inspector B lied to the family of Mr. A—who had filed the missing persons report—saying, "I spoke with the missing person on the phone, and they asked not to reveal their location," and then "self-closed" the case on the internal police network.

Mr. A had been out of contact with his family ever since.

It is the exact same modus operandi used in the case of Jang Mi-ran.

The crucial "golden time" to find the missing person was helplessly wasted yet again.

As public outrage erupted, the Head of the National Investigation Headquarters visited the Jeju Provincial Police Agency today, received a briefing on the case, and bowed their head, stating, "I feel apologetic to the public," and promising to "institutionally supplement the system to ensure such an incident never happens again."

Prime Minister Han Sung-sook also remarked, "This is an unacceptable incident that undermines public trust," and instructed the National Police Agency to conduct a thorough truth-finding investigation into the entire investigative process.

Furthermore, the Prime Minister emphasized, "Take stern action with a zero-tolerance principle against prank calls and fake news that bring tears to the families of missing persons."

The police urgently arrested Police Inspector B yesterday on charges including dereliction of duty, falsification of official electronic records, and obstruction of official duties by fraudulent means.

Reported by Yeo Hyeon-gyo | Video by Na Hong-hee | Graphics by Lee Jung-ju | Produced by SBS Digital News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.