South Korea’s popular Jeju Island is facing growing public anxiety after four people reported missing were found dead within three days, triggering a police scandal and prompting some tourists to cancel planned trips.
The deaths have fuelled speculation on social media about a possible serial killer, but authorities have not established any link between the cases or found evidence that a single perpetrator is responsible.
The crisis intensified after the discovery of the body of 37-year-old Jang Mi-ran, who had been missing since May. Her remains were found at a palm farm near where she had been staying, more than three months after her disappearance.
Jang’s case became the centre of a wider investigation after authorities accused a police officer of prematurely closing her missing-person report. Investigators found no call records to support the officer’s claim that he had contacted Jang and confirmed that she was safe.
The same officer is also accused of improperly closing another missing-person case involving a man who was later found dead.
The officer had handled 298 missing-person reports during his time on the police missing-persons team. Authorities are now reviewing the cases to determine whether any others were improperly closed. Four senior officers at Jeju Seobu Police Station have also been placed on administrative leave.
The controversy has raised serious questions about how missing-person cases are handled in South Korea, particularly after the deaths of four people were reported within a short period.
President Lee Jae-myung has called for greater police accountability, warning that the force must bear greater responsibility as its investigative powers expand.
Responsibility must be strengthened in proportion to the size of the authority,” Lee said during a Cabinet meeting, as he called for reforms to prevent similar failures.
The scandal is also beginning to affect Jeju’s tourism industry. Some travellers have cancelled planned holidays because of concerns over safety. South Korean media reported cases of visitors abandoning upcoming trips after the deaths and revelations surrounding the mishandled missing-person cases.
One traveller reportedly cancelled a planned two-day trip after becoming frightened by reports that police had mishandled a disappearance. Jeju, a major tourist destination known for its beaches, volcanic landscapes and resorts, has consequently faced growing concern among prospective visitors.
Authorities are now widening the investigation. South Korean police have announced plans to review approximately 310,000 missing-person cases from the past three years following the scandal, raising the possibility that the Jeju controversy could expose broader weaknesses in the country’s missing-person system.
For now, however, police have not connected the four deaths and there is no confirmed evidence of a serial killer or organised trafficking operation on the island.
The immediate focus remains on determining how the victims died, whether other missing-person cases were mishandled and whether failures within the police contributed to the deaths.
