WOMAN FOUND DEAD 104 DAYS AFTER VANISHING ON JEJU — POLICE OFFICER ACCUSED OF FAKING A CALL THAT NEVER HAPPENED

JEJU, South Korea — A missing-person case on South Korea’s popular Jeju Island has taken a shocking turn after 37-year-old Jang Mi-ran was found dead more than three months after she disappeared — and investigators discovered that the police officer handling her case had allegedly claimed to speak with her when no such call ever took place.

Jang was last seen leaving the long-term accommodation where she had been staying in Hallim-eup on May 12. Her boyfriend reported her missing three days later.

For weeks, her family believed she might still be alive.

That belief was reportedly reinforced by the officer assigned to her case, who allegedly told her boyfriend that he had contacted Jang and that she did not want her location disclosed.

Investigators later discovered that the conversation apparently never happened. (gocnhinphaply.nguoiduatin.vn)

HER BODY WAS FOUND JUST AROUND A KILOMETER AWAY

On Aug. 24, police searching a forest and palm-tree farm in Jeju discovered a severely decomposed body.

The location was only about one kilometer from the accommodation where Jang had been staying before she disappeared.

Dental records were later found to match Jang’s identity, while a separate DNA examination remains underway.

Because of the advanced decomposition, investigators said they could not determine signs of external trauma simply by examining the remains. An autopsy was conducted as authorities continued investigating the exact cause and manner of death.

Police initially said the position and condition of the body suggested the possibility that Jang had taken her own life, but the investigation has not been closed.

THE PHONE CALL THAT NEVER EXISTED

Perhaps the most disturbing element of the case involves the police officer who handled Jang’s disappearance.

According to investigators, the officer allegedly told Jang’s boyfriend that he had spoken directly with her.

The boyfriend was reportedly told that Jang was safe but did not want her whereabouts revealed.

That information dramatically changed how the family understood the disappearance.

If a police officer had actually spoken with Jang, there was reason to believe she was alive and had deliberately chosen to stay away.

But investigators later checked communication records.

They reportedly found no call between the officer and Jang.

An internal review also failed to uncover evidence that the alleged conversation had occurred. (gocnhinphaply.nguoiduatin.vn)

The officer is now at the center of a separate criminal investigation.

THE MISSING-PERSON CASE WAS CLOSED

The officer allegedly used the supposed conversation to treat the case as resolved.

That decision meant the search for Jang was effectively brought to an end even though she had never actually been located.

Authorities later discovered the irregularities and reopened the investigation.

By then, 104 days had passed since Jang disappeared.

The subsequent search eventually led investigators to the area where her remains were discovered.

THE OFFICER HAS BEEN ARRESTED

The officer, identified in South Korean reports by his surname Bu, was arrested on allegations including dereliction of duty, falsifying electronic public records and obstructing official duties through deceptive means.

Investigators say the problem may extend beyond Jang’s case.

Authorities are now reviewing other missing-person cases handled by the same officer after discovering allegations that he had similarly claimed to have contacted missing people. (vnexpress.net)

One report said investigators were examining approximately 200 missing-person records connected to the officer’s work.

That development has transformed what initially appeared to be an isolated failure into a much broader police accountability scandal.

QUESTIONS ARE NOW SURROUNDING JANG’S FINAL HOURS

Investigators are still trying to establish what happened after Jang left her accommodation on May 12.

Recent reporting indicates police believe she may have disappeared that night and possibly died in the early hours of May 13.

But authorities have not yet established a definitive cause of death.

Forensic investigators are examining her phone and other evidence recovered from the scene.

Police have also said there were no immediate indications of foul play, although the condition of the remains makes the investigation more difficult.

HER FAMILY WAITED FOR ANSWERS

For Jang’s loved ones, the most painful part may be knowing that valuable time was lost.

They believed they had been given confirmation from police that Jang was alive.

Instead, investigators later discovered that the conversation allegedly never happened.

And when the search finally intensified again, Jang was found only about a kilometer from the place where she had been staying.

The case has therefore raised difficult questions about how missing-person reports are handled, how quickly searches are launched and what safeguards exist when an officer claims to have personally contacted a missing individual.

A CASE THAT HAS SHOCKED SOUTH KOREA

Jang’s disappearance has become part of a much wider controversy on Jeju after several missing-person cases recently drew attention.

But her case stands out because of the alleged actions of the officer assigned to protect her.

A missing woman disappeared.

Her family was reportedly told she had been contacted.

The case was closed.

Then, 104 days later, her remains were found nearby.

Now investigators are trying to determine exactly what happened to Jang — while simultaneously investigating how her disappearance was handled in the first place.

The most haunting question may no longer be simply where Jang Mi-ran went.

It is why the search for her stopped when she had never actually been found.

And as investigators examine the evidence, one alleged phone call — a conversation that records indicate may never have existed — has become the center of a scandal that could extend far beyond a single missing-person case.