Jeju missing person cases raise questions over growing police powers

The false closure of missing person cases by a Jeju police officer is fueling broader questions over whether enough safeguards exist to keep growing police powers in check.

Experts say the case highlights the need for stronger safeguards as revisions to the Criminal Procedure Act would grant police greater authority over investigations, including the power to close cases, while reducing avenues for prosecutorial oversight.

A man in his 60s was found dead on Jeju Island on Saturday, more than 50 days after he went missing. His family had first reported him missing on July 2.

The officer, surnamed Bu, was found to have unilaterally closed the case in the police database after claiming they had reached the man and confirmed he was safe, according to the Jeju Provincial Police Agency.

Bu also closed another missing-person case involving a 37-year-old woman, Jang Mi-ran. She has been missing for three months.

Jang’s boyfriend reported her missing at around 6 p.m. on May 15, but Bu closed the case at around 9 p.m. the same day, claiming that they had made contact with her.

Her boyfriend said he tried to file another report on July 17 but was turned away because police records showed that the May case had already been closed. The investigation resumed two days later after one of Jang's relatives filed a report in Seoul.

Police placed Bu under emergency arrest on Saturday on suspicion of dereliction of duty and obstruction of official duties by fraudulent means.

The officer's ability to close the cases without properly reporting them to their superiors has drawn scrutiny to weaknesses in the police's internal oversight system, including its missing person profiling system.

“If an officer handling a case enters a reason for removing a person from the missing person system, such as the person having been found dead, they can remove the case from the system without a supervisor's approval,” said a police officer who handles missing-person investigations.

In effect, a frontline officer could exercise their significant authority to close a missing person case without approval from higher-ranking officers.

After the controversy emerged, the National Police Agency moved on Friday to tighten its protocols. Under the proposed safeguard, when an officer requests that a missing-person case be closed, a supervisor such as a team leader or division chief will review the reason and information entered before giving final approval, adding a second layer of oversight.

The case has also renewed concerns that missing adults fall into a blind spot in Korea's investigative system.

Under the Act on the Protection and Support of Missing Children, cases involving missing children under 18, people with intellectual, developmental or mental disabilities and dementia patients are subject to special procedures. In such cases, police can immediately request information such as closed-circuit television footage and public transportation card records.

Missing adults, however, are classified as “runaways” under National Police Agency regulations, which renders a systematic response more difficult, critics say.

“A law on missing adults is needed to establish clear rules for investigating cases, conducting searches and determining when a case can be closed,” said Lee Keon-su, a professor of police science at Baekseok University.

The controversy has extended to the political aisle over revisions to the much-debated revised Criminal Procedure Act. Critics say there are few effective safeguards against police officers deliberately burying cases at a time when prosecutors have fewer avenues to intervene in police investigations, including through supplementary investigations.

The ruling Democratic Party (DP) is pushing follow-up legislation that would require police to refer all cases involving seven categories of crimes against socially vulnerable people to prosecutors. Still, missing-person cases are reportedly outside its scope.

That has prompted calls from both the opposition and members of the ruling party to revisit the revisions.

“Even if the principle of separating investigation and prosecution is maintained, the system must allow for close cooperation, involvement and information sharing throughout the process,” DP Rep. Lee Un-ju wrote on social media Sunday. “If necessary, the Criminal Procedure Act should be amended further.”

DP’s senior spokesperson Park Sung-joon also noted that the party would prepare supplementary measures if problems emerge with the revised Criminal Procedure Act.

BY HAN CHAN-WOO [[email protected]]