The bodies of four people, including a woman, have been found on South Korea’s Jeju Island within three days, fuelling online speculation about a possible serial killer amid growing scrutiny of the police handling of missing-person reports.
However, police have found no evidence linking the four deaths, while claims involving a serial killer, homicide or human trafficking remain unverified.
The most prominent case involves 37-year-old Jang Mi-ran, who disappeared on 12 May. Her highly decomposed body was found on Monday (24) at a palm farm in Hallim-eup, nearly one kilometre from the lodging where she had been staying.
Police confirmed her identity through an autopsy, while separate DNA analysis is continuing. Investigators said the body showed no apparent signs of external injury.
The position in which the body was discovered initially led police to suspect that she had died by hanging. However, the exact cause of death remains under investigation, and officers are examining her mobile phone for further evidence.
The discovery came amid a growing scandal over the handling of missing-person reports by Jeju police. An officer who reportedly handled 298 such cases over approximately 17 months is accused of improperly closing some investigations.
The officer appeared before a court on Tuesday for an arrest-warrant hearing and faces allegations including dereliction of duty, falsifying official electronic records and obstructing official duties.
He allegedly told Jang’s boyfriend that he had contacted her and that she did not want her whereabouts disclosed. Investigators, however, found no call records supporting the claim. The officer subsequently closed the case and allegedly deleted related information from the police missing-person system.
The same officer is also accused of improperly closing another missing-person case involving a man in his 60s whose body was found on 22 August.
The National Police Agency (NPA) has placed four senior officers from Jeju Seobu Police Station on administrative leave, including its current and former chiefs and two senior investigators.
The action followed mounting concerns over failures in supervision and how missing-person cases could have been closed without adequate scrutiny. The NPA has begun reviewing all 298 reports handled by the officer for possible irregularities.
More than a dozen people have reportedly gone missing on Jeju Island in recent weeks. Maps circulated on social media purporting to track the cases have intensified speculation that the recent disappearances and deaths may be connected.
However, the maps do not establish the involvement of a common perpetrator, and police have not announced any link between the four deaths.
South Korean President Lee Jae-myung has ordered a comprehensive investigation into the handling of the cases and called for reforms to restore public confidence.
The NPA is also reviewing missing-person procedures, including a proposal to require stronger supervisory approval before such cases can be closed.
