Jeju police officer arrested for faking closure of missing person case; another case also falsified

A police officer in Jeju has been taken into emergency custody on suspicion of fabricating the closure of a missing person case. Officer K, from the Jeju Western Police Station, faces charges including dereliction of duty, forgery of electronic records, and obstruction of official business.

The allegations stem from the disappearance of Jang Mi-ran in May. Officer K reported having made contact with Jang, leading to the case's closure on July 2. However, investigations revealed no record of any phone calls between Officer K and Jang in her communication logs. Officer K reportedly maintains that the call did occur, but this claim has lost credibility with the discovery of similar fabrications in another case.

Authorities confirmed on July 21 that Officer K had also falsely closed another missing person case on July 2, mirroring the alleged actions in Jang's disappearance. This second instance prompted the emergency arrest on July 22.

Meanwhile, extensive search efforts for Jang Mi-ran, who was last seen in the Hallim Port area, have continued for three days without success. Police are focusing their search on the vicinity where her mobile phone signal was last detected, and are appealing for public assistance. Jang is described as a thin woman, 158 cm tall, weighing 44 kg, with long black hair. She was last seen wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, khaki sweatpants, and white Nike slippers.