Jeju police re-investigating case of Korean woman, 37, who was found dead after officer lied about her safety

The body of a 37-year-old woman who went missing in Jeju, South Korea, in May 2026 was found at a palm tree farm near her residence on Aug. 24, 104 days after she was reported missing.

Jang Mi Ran was reported missing on May 12.

Her case was closed after a local police officer allegedly claimed that he had contacted her and that she did not want to remain in contact with her family.

However, the case was later reopened after Jang’s family repeatedly urged police to resume the search.

The search restarted on Aug. 20.

According to a report by The Korea Herald, local police are now re-examining the circumstances behind her death.

No apparent signs of foul play

According to the police, an officer involved in a joint search found the body of a woman believed to be in her 30s at about 10:46am in Hallim-eup in western Jeju City on Aug. 24, The Korea JoongAng Daily reported.

The site was about a 10-minute walk from the last known location of Jang’s movements after she left her long-term accommodation on the night of May 12.

She had left the pension where she was staying at about 10:15pm that night.

Her body was found in bushes near a road, about 500m from the pension.

Her mobile phone and e-cigarette, which she had been carrying when she disappeared, were found near her body.

She was also still wearing a bracelet and a ring.

According to The Korea Herald, an autopsy by the National Forensic Service found no apparent signs of foul play and indicated that Jang likely died by hanging, police said.

This finding, however, has drawn public scrutiny, with questions raised over whether the police had prematurely concluded that she had taken her own life.

Police conducted re-enactment

On Aug. 29, the police conducted a re-enactment at the farm where Jang’s body was found, The Korea Herald reported.

As part of the re-enactment, they examined whether a palm branch at the scene could have supported Jang’s weight.

An initial test had previously indicated that the upper part of the branch was strong enough to support a person, the police said.

Other questions have also been raised about the circumstances surrounding Jang's death.

Her body reportedly did not have a noticeable odour or other signs that might have alerted workers at nearby farms.

The structure of the palm tree also appeared to make it difficult to secure a rope or other material to the branch.

Jang’s family and boyfriend have also said that she had been afraid of the area.

"The results of the reenactment will be considered as part of the investigation, and we will keep various possibilities open throughout the investigation," a police official was quoted as saying.

Police officer admitted to falsely closing the case

The police officer involved has also partially admitted to allegations that he prematurely closed the missing-persons case without confirming Jang's safety, The Korea JoongAng Daily reported.

He is also suspected of having deleted her information from the profile list of missing people, as well as inserting false information stating that she had died in a car accident.