A police officer who was arrested for falsely closing the missing person case of Jang Mi-ran has received an award from the National Police Agency for discovering the missing individual.
According to reports from Yonhap News and the office of lawmaker Park Soo-min of the People Power Party, Officer A from the Jeju Western Police Station was awarded the police chief's commendation on June 26 for his role in locating a missing elderly person with dementia.
This recognition came just over a month after he had falsely closed the missing person report for Jang Mi-ran.
Officer A had previously received multiple commendations, including one from the police chief for quickly locating a suicide attempt victim in September 2025, and another in December of the same year from the Jeju Provincial Police Agency, bringing his total to ten awards since 2020.
However, it has been revealed that Officer A is also under investigation for domestic violence, although the specific timing of this incident has not been disclosed.
On May 15, the day Jang Mi-ran was first reported missing, Officer A falsely informed the reporter that he had made contact with her, leading to the case being closed prematurely. He allegedly told Jang's boyfriend that he had confirmed her safety and instructed him not to disclose her location, subsequently deleting related records.
Additionally, Officer A is suspected of falsely closing another missing person case involving a man in his sixties, using similar methods, which was reported on July 2.
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.