SEOUL, South Korea — South Korean President Lee Jae Myung called for greater police accountability after public outrage over the handling of a series of missing-person cases on Jeju Island as reforms are set to give the force a bigger role in criminal investigations.
“Police are likely to wield the greatest power among state institutions,” Lee said at a Cabinet meeting Tuesday, adding that the public questioned whether the force could bear the responsibility.
“Responsibility must be strengthened in proportion to the size of the authority.”
Four people reported missing on Jeju were found dead over three days through Monday, authorities said.
The cases were unrelated, but two had allegedly been closed by the same officer without confirmation that the missing people were safe.
The allegations have prompted police to review all 298 missing-person reports handled by the officer. About 10 are being examined for possible improper closure, media reported.
One case involved Jang Mi-ran, a 37-year-old woman whose disappearance became a national controversy after police allegedly closed the case without confirming her safety. Her body was found on Monday, 104 days after she vanished.
The other involved a man in his 60s whose family reported him missing again, prompting a renewed search that ended with his body being found.
A court detained the officer Tuesday on suspicion of dereliction of duty, falsifying official electronic records and obstructing official duties, the Yonhap news agency reported. The officer denied the charges and said he contacted the missing people, the report said, citing a police official.
Jeju police told Reuters they had no separate comment on their handling of the cases, which has fueled safety concerns and criticism on social media.
Acting National Police Commissioner Yoo Jae-seong apologized and promised measures to prevent a recurrence. Police have ordered supervisory sign-off on missing-person case closures pending an upgrade to their case management system, Yoo told lawmakers Monday.
“We will examine the entire system and make institutional improvements so that this never happens again,” Yoo said, pledging to review all cases handled by the officer.
South Korean police received 70,814 reports of missing adults last year, official data showed. More than 70,000 such reports have been filed annually since 2022, though the vast majority were solved within 30 days, police say.
The controversy comes after the governing Democratic Party stripped prosecutors of their remaining investigative powers in July, citing a history of abuse. The change, due to take effect in October, leaves police with a greatly expanded investigative role.
