"A missing person was contacted," I believed the police officer... Jeju missing woman 'delayed search'

Police launched a concentrated search only three months after a 30-year-old woman went missing in Jeju. This came after it was revealed that the handling police officer failed to properly verify the missing person's safety and arbitrarily closed the case. Currently, the bereaved family is reporting harassment through prank calls made to the contact number they publicly released for tips, expressing distress over secondary victimization.

According to police sources on the 20th, A-officer, who handled the initial missing person report in May, informed authorities that he had spoken with Ms. Jang and closed the case. However, after two months passed without any contact, the family filed a new missing person report last month, triggering a full-scale investigation.

During this process, it was confirmed that A-officer never actually spoke with Ms. Jang. Ms. Jang's phone remained active from the night of May 12, when she failed to return home, until the initial report was filed on the 15th. There was ample time to ensure the missing person's safety.

Due to this inadequate response, the investigation was delayed by more than two months. All CCTV footage and other records that could verify Ms. Jang's movement routes have been deleted. This is why criticism has emerged that police negligence in initial response exacerbated the situation.

Notably, it was also confirmed that A-officer did not enter Ms. Jang's missing person report into the Missing Child Profiling System at the time of the initial report.

According to the "Rules for Handling Cases of Missing Children and Runaways," reports may be excluded from the system if the subject is determined not to be genuinely missing or if the report is deemed false. This raises the possibility that A-officer classified Ms. Jang's report as a false alarm at the time.

Another issue is that the 112th system does not record whether actual calls were made or how verification was conducted. Currently, A-officer has been formally charged with dereliction of duty.

The missing person's family is reporting secondary victimization. After releasing their contact number to receive tips, they have been inundated with prank calls. Ms. Jang's cousin posted a missing person flyer featuring her photo on Instagram to request public assistance.

The cousin stated, "The family has already endured sufficient hardship," and urged, "Please refrain from prank calls involving moaning sounds or similar disturbances." He further added, "We also ask that you avoid political incitement through comments or unrelated political debates. We posted this message solely to find our family member."

In response, Han Seong-suk (Prime Minister) stated on the same day, "It is absolutely unacceptable for anyone to make prank calls or spread fake news against the grieving family desperately searching for their loved one," and urged, "Please respond strictly to such secondary victimization in accordance with laws and principles."

From the 20th to the 26th, police and coast guard are deploying approximately 140 personnel daily along with helicopters, drones, scent-detection dogs, and divers to conduct a massive search around Jeju Hallim Port where Ms. Jang's last cell tower signal was detected, as well as coastal areas, nearby farm roads, and abandoned houses.

Ms. Jang is described as having long straight hair, an estimated height of 158 cm, a slender build, and wearing a gold bracelet. Her distinctive feature is her affectionate speaking tone.