South Korean authorities on Jeju Island are reexamining their initial response to a missing-persons case after a 37-year-old woman, Jang Mi-ran, disappeared in May and has not been heard from for more than three months. A Jeju-based officer initially reported contacting Jang and confirming her safety, a claim that led to the case being closed. Investigators later found no call records to support that account and have opened an inquiry into the officer’s conduct while the search continues.
Jang left her residence in Hallim-eup, a town-level district within Jeju City, sometime between the late afternoon of May 12 and the early hours of May 13. She had moved to Jeju around a decade ago and was living with her partner in Hallim-eup. Her partner discovered she was gone the next morning and notified her family, who filed a missing-persons report in mid-May. During the night shift, the responding officer told superiors—and relayed to the family—that he had reached Jang and that she did not wish to reveal her location, and the case was closed.
After weeks without any contact, the family submitted a second report in July. Police reopened the case and determined there were no phone records verifying the alleged call between the officer and Jang, prompting suspicions of false reporting. The officer, identified publicly only as “A,” in line with Korean media practice of partial anonymity, is under investigation on allegations of dereliction of duty and has been removed from his post. He is also the subject of a separate probe stemming from an incident on July 22 related to entering a women’s restroom while on duty.
A dedicated missing-persons investigation team within the Jeju Police Agency is now tracing Jang’s movements and appealing for public assistance. Authorities say they have found no clear signs of routine activity—such as use of bank cards or accounts, mobile phone activity, or hospital visits—since her disappearance. Local media have reported that her phone’s last signal was detected near Hallim Port on Jeju’s northwest coast. Police say they are pursuing all possibilities, from a voluntary disappearance to potential criminal involvement, and remain focused on locating her.
Jang’s family has released photographs and a description through social media, asking anyone with information to come forward. She is about 158 centimeters tall with a slim build, weighing roughly 44 kilograms, and has long straight hair. When last seen, she was reportedly wearing a black zip-up hoodie, khaki sweatpants, and white Nike slippers, and had on a gold bracelet. Relatives believe she left home with only a mobile phone.
On August 19, the Jeju Police Agency issued a public missing-person alert seeking tips. The case has drawn attention to how missing-person protocols are applied in South Korea, particularly on Jeju, a major resort island and separate provincial jurisdiction. It also underscores the role of basic digital forensics—such as phone signal checks—and broad community alerts in contemporary searches. For Jang’s family, however, the priority remains immediate and simple: credible information that leads to her whereabouts.
