A South Korean police officer has been issued an arrest warrant over allegations that he improperly closed the case of a missing woman whose body was later discovered on Jeju Island.
The Jeju District Court issued the warrant on Tuesday after hearing allegations against the officer, who is accused of dereliction of duty, forgery, falsifying public electronic records and obstructing official duties through deception.
Investigators allege the officer prematurely closed the missing-person case involving Jang Mi-ran in May without properly confirming her safety. Her details were also allegedly removed from the police system used to track missing people.
Jang’s body was discovered on Jeju on Monday, with police later confirming her identity. Her disappearance had remained unresolved for months before the discovery intensified scrutiny over how the case was handled.
The officer is also accused of mishandling another missing-person investigation involving a man in his 60s. That case was reportedly closed last month, while the man’s body was later found on 22 August.
He was initially placed under emergency detention on Saturday but was released on Monday after a court reviewed the legality of his detention. The arrest warrant was subsequently issued following Tuesday’s hearing.
The case has triggered growing public concern over the handling of missing-person reports on Jeju. Authorities are now examining the officer’s wider work, while the scandal has prompted calls for stronger oversight and accountability within the police force.
The allegations have also raised questions about whether the premature closure of Jang’s case delayed efforts to locate her. However, the precise circumstances surrounding her death remain under investigation, and authorities have yet to establish whether the police handling of the case directly contributed to her death.
The controversy has placed renewed focus on the need for missing-person investigations to be properly verified before cases are closed, particularly when vulnerable individuals remain unaccounted for. South Korean authorities are expected to continue investigating both the officer’s conduct and the broader procedures used by police on Jeju.
