MISSING FOR 104 DAYS: WOMAN’S BODY FOUND NEAR JEJU LODGING AS POLICE SCANDAL DEEPENS

JEJU, South Korea — A missing-person case that began with a woman disappearing from South Korea’s popular Jeju Island has turned into a major police scandal after a body believed to be hers was discovered 104 days later — less than a mile from the place where she was last seen.

The woman, identified as 37-year-old Jang Mi-ran, disappeared in May after leaving the long-term accommodation where she had been staying in Hallim-eup.

Her family reported her missing three days later.

But instead of remaining an active missing-person case, authorities say the investigation was improperly closed after an officer allegedly claimed he had personally confirmed that Jang was safe.

Investigators later found no record of the phone call the officer claimed had taken place.

HER LAST KNOWN MOVEMENTS

Jang was reportedly captured on surveillance footage leaving her accommodation at around 10:15 p.m. on May 12.

Afterward, her movements became unclear.

Her boyfriend reported her missing to the Jeju Western Police Station on May 15.

Police initially traced her phone and determined that it had moved toward Hallim Port. But the investigation soon took an extraordinary turn.

According to investigators, the officer assigned to the case allegedly told Jang’s boyfriend that he had spoken with Jang and confirmed that she was safe.

Based on that claim, the case was closed.

There was just one problem:

Investigators could not find evidence that the conversation ever happened.

THE SEARCH WAS EFFECTIVELY STOPPED

The alleged false closure had potentially devastating consequences.

A major search did not resume until much later, after Jang’s relatives repeatedly raised concerns about her disappearance.

By then, critical evidence had potentially been lost.

South Korean reports say much of the area’s CCTV footage was no longer available because of standard retention periods. That has made reconstructing Jang’s final movements considerably more difficult.

And then came the discovery that shocked investigators.

HER BODY WAS FOUND ONLY ABOUT A KILOMETER AWAY

On Aug. 24, more than three months after Jang disappeared, a large joint search involving hundreds of personnel was conducted around Hallim-eup.

At approximately 10:46 a.m., searchers discovered a body in a palm-tree forest.

The location was only a little over one kilometer from Jang’s accommodation, roughly a 10-minute walk away.

The body was badly decomposed, making immediate visual identification impossible.

Clothing and personal items found nearby reportedly matched what Jang was believed to have been wearing when she disappeared.

Authorities are using DNA testing, forensic examination and an autopsy to establish the identity and determine the cause and time of death.

POLICE SAY FOUL PLAY APPEARS UNLIKELY — FOR NOW

Investigators have said that, based on the body’s location and condition, they currently consider the possibility of criminal involvement to be relatively low.

But police have emphasized that this is not a final determination.

The advanced decomposition means investigators still need forensic evidence to establish what happened.

Critical questions remain:

When did Jang actually die?

Did she die at the location where her body was found?

How did she reach the area?

And perhaps most importantly:

Could she have been found sooner if the original investigation had been handled properly?

THE POLICE OFFICER IS NOW UNDER INVESTIGATION

The officer accused of improperly closing Jang’s case has become the focus of a separate criminal investigation.

Authorities allege that he falsified records and failed to properly perform his duties in connection with missing-person cases.

The officer has denied wrongdoing, according to Reuters.

The scandal has expanded beyond Jang’s disappearance after investigators discovered another missing-person case that was allegedly handled in a similar manner.

Authorities are now reviewing hundreds of missing-person cases previously handled by the officer, with Reuters reporting that approximately 298 cases are being examined.

FOUR SENIOR OFFICERS REMOVED FROM DUTY

The fallout has reached the highest levels of the Jeju Western Police Station.

Four senior officers in the station’s command structure — including the current and former station chiefs, the criminal affairs division chief and the missing-persons team leader — have been placed on standby while authorities investigate supervisory responsibility.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has also called for greater police accountability following the series of controversial missing-person cases.

The national police leadership has apologized and announced measures intended to prevent officers from independently closing missing-person cases without proper supervisory approval.

THE MOST HAUNTING DETAIL

Perhaps the most disturbing part of the case is the distance between where Jang disappeared and where her presumed remains were eventually found.

She vanished after leaving her accommodation late at night.

More than three months later, investigators discovered a body within roughly a kilometer of that same location.

And during the crucial early days of the investigation, her family was reportedly told that police had already confirmed she was safe.

That alleged confirmation is now being investigated as a false statement.

A CASE THAT HAS BECOME MUCH BIGGER THAN ONE DISAPPEARANCE

Jang Mi-ran’s case is no longer simply about determining what happened to one missing woman.

It has raised national questions about how South Korea handles missing-person reports, how officers verify that someone is actually safe, how cases can be closed and who is responsible for supervising those decisions.

The investigation into Jang’s death remains ongoing.

Her identity and cause of death still require forensic confirmation, and authorities have not established that another person was responsible for her death.

But one fact has already transformed the case:

A woman disappeared. Her case was allegedly closed after a safety check that investigators say never happened. And 104 days later, a body believed to be hers was found just minutes from where she had last been seen.

Now, investigators aren’t only searching for answers about Jang Mi-ran’s final hours — they’re also trying to understand how the system failed her in the first place.