JEJU, South Korea — In less than 72 hours, the popular tourist island of Jeju was plunged into shock after authorities discovered the bodies of four people who had previously been reported missing. The string of tragedies has not only stunned the public because of its unusually high frequency but has also shattered public trust, exposing a serious scandal involving allegedly falsified missing-person records within the local police force.

Bodies Discovered One After Another

Around noon on August 24, Jeju police confirmed that a fourth body had been found in the Hallim-eup area. The victim was identified as Jang Mi-ran, 37, who had mysteriously disappeared on May 12, leaving her family waiting in anguish for 104 days.

The discovery came just hours after the Jeju Coast Guard recovered the body of a man in his 70s from waters off Sinheung-ri in Jocheon-eup that afternoon. It followed the discovery earlier that morning of another man’s body in a valley in Aewol-eup.

Two days earlier, on August 22, the body of a man in his 60s who had been missing since July 2 was also found in Songdang-ri, Gujwa-eup.

Local Police Accused of Falsifying and Closing Missing-Person Cases

Public outrage has intensified in South Korea after the alleged reason behind the prolonged interruption of the searches came to light: serious negligence and falsification by the officers handling the cases.

According to the preliminary investigation, the police officer responsible for receiving the missing-person reports for Jang Mi-ran and the man in his 60s allegedly closed the search cases without authorization. To make the closures appear legitimate, the officer reportedly fabricated records claiming to have contacted the missing individuals directly and confirmed that they were safe.

The alleged falsification deprived investigators of a crucial opportunity to continue searching for the victims for months. The cases were only reopened after the victims’ families returned to government authorities seeking answers.

Jeju Police’s internal inspection reportedly found that the officer may have improperly closed approximately 200 to 300 missing-person cases during the 17 months he was assigned to the position. Authorities are currently pursuing an emergency arrest warrant for the officer.

Meanwhile, South Korea’s National Forensic Service is conducting autopsies on all four victims to determine their exact causes of death and investigate whether criminal activity may have been involved.