Police believe body found in Jeju City palm tree grove is missing woman

Police said a body found Monday in Hallim-eup, Jeju City, is likely that of Jang Mi-ran, a 37-year-old woman who went missing in May, with some of her personal items retrieved at the scene.

The body was reportedly discovered in a grove of palm trees less than 500 meters (1,640 feet) as the crow flies from the accommodation where she had been staying long-term.

Her missing persons case remained closed for months after an officer allegedly falsely claimed to have made contact with her. 

An officer found the body in a wooded area near a palm tree farm in Hallim-eup at around 10:46 a.m. during a joint search, according to the Jeju Special Self-Governing Provincial Police Agency. The site was about a five-minute walk from Jang’s accommodation.

Police believe the body is highly likely to be the missing woman's because her cell phone, clothing she was wearing when she disappeared and some of her belongings were found nearby. No identification or note was found.

“At this point, foul play appears unlikely,” a police official said. “We plan to determine the person’s exact identity and cause of death through a forensic examination and autopsy by the National Forensic Service. We will also determine whether any crime was involved.”

BY SHIN HYE-YEON [[email protected]]