The body discovered on August 24 at a palm tree farm in Hanlim-eup, Jeju, has been identified as that of Jang Mi-ran, a 37-year-old woman who had been missing for an extended period. Following the confirmation, her family has requested that the public refrain from criticizing the police.
On August 24, Jang's cousin took to social media to express, "Not all police are corrupt, nor are they all incompetent. We appreciate the efforts of the many police officers and coast guard members who have worked hard to find the missing person."
He added, "Please refrain from criticism, speculation, and unrelated political discussions, and I ask reporters to limit their contact as well."
Meanwhile, authorities are conducting a forensic examination of Jang's mobile phone to investigate the exact cause of death while keeping all possibilities open.
According to Yonhap News, Jang was last seen on May 12 at 10:15 p.m. when she left her long-term accommodation, as captured by surveillance cameras.
On May 15 at 6:43 p.m., an officer from the Jeju West Police Station received a missing person report from Jang's partner. The officer, identified as A, falsely claimed that he had been in contact with Jang but that she had asked him not to disclose her location. He closed the case at 9:16 p.m.
Jang's partner attempted to file another report on June 17, but due to A's previous records, the report was not accepted. It wasn't until Jang's family filed a new report at the Nowon Police Station in Seoul on June 19 that the search was resumed.
After 104 days of being reported missing, Jang's body was found during a joint search operation at the palm tree farm in Hanlim-eup at 10:46 a.m. on August 24.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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