4 dead bodies found on Jeju in 3 days

Four dead bodies have been found on Jeju, the largest island of South Korea, in three days, Korea JoongAng Daily reported.

A man, likely in his 70s, was found dead in waters near Sinheung-ri in Jocheon-eup, Jeju City, at around 3pm on Sunday, Aug. 23.

A person fishing discovered the body and reported it.

It was the second dead body found after the first body was discovered on Aug. 22.

The Jeju Coast Guard confirmed that the man had been reported missing to the Jeju Dongbu Police precinct a day before he was found.

The Coast Guard is investigating the exact cause and circumstances of his death.

Third and fourth bodies found

A third person, who had been reported missing to police, was found dead near a valley in Aewol-eup, Jeju City, at around 9:35am on Monday, Aug. 24.

Subsequently, a body believed to be that of 37-year-old woman, who went missing in May, was found at around 10:46am on Monday as well, 104 days after she apparently disappeared.

The body was discovered at a palm farm near the accommodation she stayed at.

She was found in a hanging position, Chosun Daily reported.

Rogue police officer closed case

The police officer handling the 37-year-old's disappearance case is suspected of falsely closing it when the initial missing person report was filed.

The family filed another report in July and the police resumed their search.

First body discovered on Saturday

A man in his 60s who had been reported missing was the first person to be found dead recently in Songdang-ri, Gujwa-eup, Jeju City, on Saturday, Aug. 22.

This was the first body discovered on the weekend, reported Korea JoongAng Daily.

The missing-person report for the man was filed on Jul. 2, some 51 days earlier.

Investigators then found that the police officer handling the 37-year-old missing person's case had falsely closed this case.

After the missing woman was found, the man's family refiled a missing person report on Friday, Aug. 21, which prompted the police to launch a new search.

Police officer falsely closed missing persons reports

The rogue police officer had apparently falsely closed 200 missing persons cases during 17 months while working on the island, Korea JoongAng Daily reported.

He has been identified as Sergeant Boo, Chosun Daily reported.

The family of the deceased man in his 60s reported that the elderly man had left on Jun. 28 and became uncontactable.

The man had apparently told his child: “I’ve failed in business and have a lot of debt. Take care.”

However, Sergeant Boo is accused of falsely responding: “The husband has been contacted.”

The police officer also responded: “He is safe but does not wish to disclose his location to the family.”

He then closed the case.

The elderly man's son said in a press conference: "We believed the police when they said my father was safe and waited, but after 51 days, what returned was his body... The police only suggested that the family investigate privately."

Distrust in police deepening

Korea media The Korea Times reported that a distrust of the police is deepening over the premature closure of multiple missing person cases on Jeju.

South Korea police said on Tuesday, Aug. 25 that they have removed four officers in the chain of command at Jeju Seobu Police Station from their duties pending an investigation.

The police are conducting a full investigation into 298 cases closed by Sergeant Boo since March 2025.