Police Reverse Stance on Jeju Missing Woman Case, Citing Cause of Death as "Undetermined" After Initially Suspecting Suicide

Criticism is rising that the police made hasty announcements regarding the death of a woman in her 30s who was found dead in Jeju 104 days after being reported missing, shifting their stance from initially leaning toward suicide to declaring the cause of death as "undetermined" due to body decomposition.

During a press briefing today (the 31st), National Office of Investigation Head Hong Seok-ki stated regarding the cause of death of Ms. Jang, "It has been confirmed as an undetermined cause of death due to the decomposition of the body," while adding, "However, we are investigating with all possibilities open."

This contradicts the police's previous position stating from the very day the body was found that it was presumed to be a suicide.

On the 24th, when Ms. Jang's body was discovered at a palm tree farm in Hallim-eup, Jeju City, the police initially stated, "Based on the posture and location of the body, we judge the possibility of homicide to be low," while adding that they would continue to investigate the possibility of crime-related harm.

On the same day, immediately following the on-site forensic inspection, an interview with a police official was reported stating, "Whether it resulted from a crime will be confirmed through an autopsy, and we currently presume it to be suicide."

Acting National Police Agency Commissioner General Yoo Jae-sung also appeared at a plenary meeting of the National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee on the same day. When asked about the basis for judging that the possibility of criminal harm was low, he explained, "It has not been confirmed yet, but based on what was reported to me by the head of the Jeju Provincial Police Agency, it is presumed she died by hanging."

Afterwards, even after receiving the autopsy results from the National Forensic Service, the police stated they still presumed Ms. Jang died by hanging herself from a palm tree.

They explained that a rope presumed to have been taken by Ms. Jang from her residence was found on the trunk of the palm tree, and that after testing the strength by directly pulling on the palm tree trunk during the forensic inspection, they determined that the upper part of the tree was sufficiently capable of supporting a person's weight.

However, suspicions have persisted as claims continue to be raised that this palm tree farm is secluded and dark for a woman to visit alone at night, and that hanging would be impossible because the palm tree trunks are weak and have many sharp parts.

Amid ongoing controversy over the cause of death, the police initially took a stance suggesting that "suicide is possible" regarding a reenactment experiment conducted at the palm tree farm on the 27th to verify whether hanging would be feasible as part of a detailed forensic review, but changed their position after media reports sparked further controversy.

The police stated, "The results of the reenactment experiment are not out yet," adding that it will take some time as a professional review process is necessary.

The police plan to forward police officer A, who is currently being investigated under arrest on charges of falsely closing missing person reports for two people including Ms. Jang, to the prosecution on September 1, and will provide a detailed briefing on the investigation results at that time.

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.