Jeju officer cites heavy caseload for falsely closing missing person cases

A Jeju police officer was sent to prosecutors in custody Sept 1 over allegations that he falsely claimed to have contacted two missing people and closed their cases. Both were later found dead.The officer, surnamed Bu, told investigators that he falsely closed the cases because he felt overburdened by the work required to keep them open, according to the Jeju Provincial Police Agency.Police also said their first comprehensive review of 298 missing person cases closed by Bu had identified 25 additional cases involving suspected false closures or records.The Jeju District Prosecutors’ Office has formed a dedicated team to handle the investigation.Police referred Bu on charges of falsifying and using official electronic records, obstructing official duties through fraudulent means, and dereliction of duty.Officer cites heavy workload“Bu said he had been complacent because the missing people were ordinary adults and that he falsely closed the cases because he felt burdened by the work involved in handling cases that remained open,” a Jeju police official said during a briefing on Sept 1.Five police profilers who interviewed Bu concluded that his accumulated workload and responsibilities had contributed to fatigue and neglect. They also cited what they described as his avoidant and irresponsible approach to his duties.Police said they found no personal grievances or other external factors that appeared to have motivated his actions.Police records show that Bu closed 298 missing person cases while working on the investigation team from March 10, 2025, to July 23, 2026, a period of about 16 months.That accounted for about 11 per cent of all missing person reports filed in Jeju during the period.His recorded closures were roughly three times the simple per-officer average, although some cases were handled jointly before Bu closed them in the system.Bu came under investigation after the family of Jang Mi-ran, 37, reported her disappearance again on July 19. Jang was first reported missing on May 15, but Bu closed the case after falsely stating he had contacted her and that she did not want her location disclosed.Investigators found no record of such contact. Police said Bu later recorded Jang as having died in a traffic accident to remove the case from the system’s active management list. He told investigators that he feared his false closure would otherwise be discovered.Jang was found dead Aug 24 at a palm farm in Hallim-eup, western Jeju, more than three months after she was reported missing.The other case involved a man in his 60s who was reported missing July 2. He was found dead Aug 22 after police resumed searching for him. Bu had also falsely claimed to have contacted the man.Review finds 25 more improper casesPolice expanded their review to all 298 cases closed by Bu and identified 10 in which he ended missing person investigations without contacting the people reported missing or confirming their safety.All 10 were later contacted by investigators and confirmed to be safe.Police found another 15 cases in which the missing people had been located safely, but Bu allegedly entered false reasons for closing their cases in the profiling system.All 15 were alive, but their cases were recorded as having ended in deaths caused by traffic crashes, homicide or other circumstances.Police are separately examining 63 reports that were either removed from the profiling system shortly after being entered or never entered into it.Such handling can occur when a report is made by mistake or a missing person is found shortly afterwards. Police have not concluded that all 63 cases were improperly handled.Police said they would continue investigating the additional cases in cooperation with prosecutors. THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK