Jeju: Prosecutors on Friday indicted a police officer on charges of fraudulently closing missing person cases on the southern resort island of Jeju earlier this year. The 34-year-old officer, who was placed under arrest last month, is accused of closing a case involving a woman in her 30s, surnamed Jang, after falsely reporting that he had come into contact with her shortly after she was reported missing on May 15.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the officer also faces charges related to the closure of a case involving a man in his 60s, surnamed Park. The officer allegedly reported that he had contacted Park after he was reported missing on July 2. The Jeju District Prosecutors' Office revealed that the officer did not take any steps to locate either of the two individuals reported missing.
Prosecutors suspect that the officer closed the cases to avoid reporting to superiors or managing the paperwork required to transfer the cases to others. The bodies of both Jang and Park were discovered on the island last month, shortly after potential foul play was reported and comprehensive search efforts commenced.
The handling of these cases has sparked significant public scrutiny regarding police procedures, leading the National Police Agency to review approximately 310,000 missing person cases reported over the past three years. The agency has not yet identified any additional cases that were fraudulently closed.