Jeju officer dismissed over false closures of missing person cases

A police officer on Jeju Island indicted for falsely closing two missing person cases has been dismissed from the force, police said Thursday. Both were later found dead.

The Jeju Seobu Police Station's disciplinary committee voted to dismiss the officer in his 30s, surnamed Bu. Dismissal is the harshest penalty for police officers and takes effect once the officer receives notice. Bu, who remains in custody, can challenge the ruling through a formal appeal.

Bu allegedly received a report on May 15 about a woman in her 30s surnamed Jang and another on July 2 about a man in his 60s surnamed Park. In both cases, he falsely recorded that he had contacted the missing people, instead closing the cases with no action undertaken to locate them.

The false closures came to light after the families filed second and third reports. Jang and Park were each later found dead, 104 days and 52 days after they went missing, respectively.

The Jeju Provincial Police Agency reviewed all 298 cases Bu handled on the missing persons team from March 2025 to July this year. The review uncovered 25 additional instances of improper handling, including false closures.

Jeju Island prosecutors indicted Bu in custody on Sept. 18 on charges including falsifying public electronic records, drafting and using false official documents and dereliction of duty.

Bu's first hearing is scheduled for Oct. 14 at the Jeju District Court.