MISSING JEJU WOMAN CASE DEEPENS AFTER POLICE OFFICER ACCUSED OF CLOSING CASE WITHOUT CONTACTING HER

JEJU, SOUTH KOREA — A long-running missing-person investigation has taken a disturbing turn after police discovered that an officer who handled the initial report may have closed the case without ever actually speaking to the missing woman.

Jang Mi-ran, 37, disappeared after leaving her home at around 1:30 a.m. on May 13. Her phone remained switched on until around May 17, but she has not been located.

THE PHONE RECORDS RAISED A CRITICAL QUESTION

According to the Jeju Provincial Police Agency, investigators reviewed communication records and found no record of a phone call between Jang and the officer who received the original missing-person report.

Yet the officer reportedly told investigators that contact had been made with Jang and that the case was subsequently closed.

The officer also claimed Jang had said she did not want her boyfriend to know where she was. Police have now booked the officer on suspicion of dereliction of duty and are investigating whether that claimed conversation ever occurred.

THE CASE WAS CLOSED WITHOUT A FACE-TO-FACE SAFETY CHECK

The investigation found that the officer did not personally verify Jang’s safety and did not enter the relevant information into the missing-person profiling system used to assess risk.

SBS reported that the existing system allowed the officer to make a unilateral decision because there was no required second confirmation from a superior before closing the case.

For Jang’s family, that decision may have had devastating consequences.

They say they were reassured by the police explanation and believed Jang was simply taking time away.

But she never came home.

A SECOND REPORT WAS REJECTED

On July 17, Jang’s boyfriend attempted to report her missing again after becoming increasingly concerned about her continued absence.

According to her family, police did not accept the report because the earlier case record stated that Jang had supposedly asked authorities not to reveal her whereabouts to her boyfriend.

Two days later, Jang’s cousin reported her missing again in Seoul, prompting investigators to resume the case.

By then, however, more than two months had passed.

Potentially crucial CCTV footage and other recordings had already been deleted, making the investigation significantly more difficult.

NOW, A MASSIVE SEARCH IS UNDERWAY

Authorities are now conducting an intensive search around Hanlim Port in Jeju, an area connected to cellphone-location information from Jang’s phone.

From August 20 through August 26, police and the Korea Coast Guard plan to deploy an average of approximately 140 personnel per day.

The operation includes:

• Helicopters
• Drones
• Search dogs
•  Divers
•  Patrol boats
•  Coastal rescue boats

Investigators are also searching coastal areas, nearby waters, farm roads and suspected routes, while checking pensions, abandoned houses and shelters throughout the province.

NO CONFIRMED TRACE OF HER DAILY LIFE

Authorities have reportedly found no confirmed evidence of Jang using her credit cards, cellphone or visiting hospitals since her disappearance.

That absence of activity has only deepened the mystery surrounding what happened to her.

At the time she disappeared, Jang was described as having long, straight hair, a slim build and a height of approximately 158 centimeters. She was also wearing a gold bracelet.

QUESTIONS THAT NOW DEMAND ANSWERS

The investigation is no longer focused solely on where Jang may be.

Authorities are also examining how her original missing-person case was handled and whether critical time was lost because the case was closed without properly confirming her safety.

For her family, the most painful question may be the simplest:

What if the investigation had begun immediately?

Three months have passed, according to the family’s account, and Jang is still missing.

Now, police are searching the waters and remote areas of Jeju while simultaneously investigating the officer who allegedly closed the original case without verified contact.

A missing woman. A disputed phone call. A case allegedly closed without a face-to-face check. And crucial surveillance footage that may already be gone.

The search for Jang Mi-ran continues.

The allegations concerning the police officer are under investigation. SBS notes that its English-language article was AI-translated and may contain translation errors; the Korean-language report should be treated as the primary source.