South Korea Orders Police Reform After Jeju Missing-Person Scandal

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has called for greater police accountability and a government-led overhaul of the force after a scandal on Jeju Island exposed how a single officer allegedly closed hundreds of missing-person cases without confirming the individuals were safe, leading to the discovery of four dead bodies. The controversy has intensified debate over whether the national police are prepared to assume expanded investigative powers set to take effect in October.

The scandal centers on an officer identified only by his surname Bu, who worked at Jeju Seobu Police Station for about 17 months before being suspended on August 11 over a separate allegation. Investigators say he independently closed the majority of more than 200 missing-person reports assigned to him, including that of Jang Miran, a 37-year-old woman reported missing on May 12. Her body was found on August 25, in a highly decomposed state at a palm farm in Hallimeup, more than 100 days after she vanished. Police records showed her case had been quietly closed without anyone verifying she was alive. The officer allegedly told her boyfriend he had spoken to her and that she did not wish her location...