A South Korean police officer, identified by his surname Bu, was arrested earlier this month for admitting to closing missing persons cases without proper investigation to avoid additional work, according to authorities. Bu was accused of prematurely closing cases on Jeju Island and providing false information to the families of missing persons. In response to public criticism, police have initiated searches for several missing individuals, leading to the discovery of four bodies in recent weeks.
The Jeju Provincial Police reported that Bu had falsely closed at least two high-profile cases and has been charged with forgery of public electronic records, obstruction of official duties, and dereliction of duty. In both instances, Bu claimed he had contacted the missing individuals and subsequently closed their cases without verifying their safety.
During the investigation, Bu stated, "the missing person was a typical adult so I thought about it carelessly. If the case was not closed, there would have been a lot to take care of, and out of a sense of pressure over the case handover, I falsely closed it."
One case involved a 37-year-old woman named Jang Mi-ran, who went missing in May. Bu had informed her boyfriend that she did not wish to meet the police or be contacted, a claim later found to be false. Bu had entered this misinformation into the system, falsely logging that Jang had died in a traffic accident before closing the case. Jang's body was discovered near a palm tree plantation on Jeju last week.
In another case, a man in his 60s reported missing in July was similarly misrepresented by Bu, who claimed he had spoken to the man and that he did not wish to be contacted. The man was later found dead earlier this month. Authorities believe Bu may have prematurely closed an additional 25 missing persons cases, although some of those individuals were later confirmed to be alive.
This incident occurs during a politically sensitive period for South Korea's police, as the government has recently passed laws transferring full investigative power from prosecutors to the police, a move criticized by the public due to longstanding accusations of police corruption and incompetence. President Lee Jae Myung has promised police reforms following the recent scandal, expressing regret that the actions of a few individuals have tarnished the reputation of diligent police officers.