Jeju Island Tragedy: Four Bodies Discovered Amid Police Scandal
A quiet seaside getaway has turned into a nightmarish scene in South Korea's most popular holiday destination. Police on Jeju Island found the bodies of four missing residents between June 28 and this week, including 37‑year‑old Jang Mi‑ran, whose disappearance had been reported months before.
The discovery followed allegations that Sergeant Bu‑Sang‑Hwan had prematurely closed missing‑person cases and lied to families. Four officers in Bu’s chain of command were placed on administrative leave and President Lee Jae‑Myung announced a sweeping reform of the police force.
Jang’s body was uncovered at a palm‑tree farm roughly 500 meters from her former address, and officials say her death appears to have been self‑harm. In another case, a male resident from Jeju City, missing since June 28, was found dead after Bu claimed he was “safe.”
Police now are reviewing almost 300 missing‑person reports handled by Bu, hinting at possible wider misconduct. The incident exposes long‑standing public distrust in law enforcement, especially as the South Korean government recently granted prosecutors full investigative power over police, a move that arguably intensified scrutiny of police operations.
Emergency lawmakers questioned the national police chief, who admitted a systemic fault. The scandal arrives at a politically sensitive juncture, with President Lee urging faster accountability and greater checks on police power.
Reporting by Jake Kwon and Kelly Ng in Seoul.
