Lawmaker slams police for 'golden time' loss in Jeju missing person case

A prominent member of South Korea's opposition party has sharply criticized the police's handling of a missing person case, alleging that a fabricated report led to the loss of crucial time for rescue.

Kim Mi-ae, a lawmaker with the People Power Party, stated that the police "themselves eliminated the golden time" in the case of a 30-year-old woman who disappeared in Jeju in May. She argued that the police must reinstate prosecutors' supplementary investigation rights, which she claims were wrongly abolished.

According to Kim, the initial police officer who received the report of the missing woman had contacted her. The officer then allegedly filed a false report stating the woman did not want her location disclosed to her boyfriend. Kim pointed out that phone records showed no call between the officer and the missing woman. She further alleged that the police failed to conduct a proper safety assessment or utilize profiling systems to determine the woman's risk level.

When the family and friends reported her missing again, the police investigation began two months late. By then, Kim explained, many relevant CCTV recordings had passed their retention period and were deleted. "This is not a simple mistake or an accident," Kim asserted, condemning the police's alleged "active lie" for obstructing the initial investigation and preventing a second chance for rescue.

"Is this reform?" Kim questioned, accusing the state, which should protect its citizens' lives and safety, of dismantling the very safeguards. She demanded an immediate reversal of the decision to abolish prosecutors' supplementary investigation powers.