Rumors, doubts persist over Jeju woman's death

Police suspect Jang Mi-ran, a Jeju woman whose missing person case was falsely closed by local police, died by suicide, but family and friends remain unconvinced. The preliminary police investigation has found evidence indicating death by hanging — although officials stressed it is not definitive. Officials also found a cord hanging from the tree. But several people close to her have doubts based on where her body was found, and locals have raised doubts over how a short woman of slight built wa

2026-08-28 11:52:36:00

Chinese lecturer detained after confessing to murder

A Chinese university lecturer in his 30s has admitted to killing a 25-year-old Chinese student in Gyeongsan, North Gyeongsang Province, police said Thursday, as a court issued a warrant for his arrest. Gyeongsan Police Station said the suspect, surnamed Jeong, had admitted to key parts of the allegations, including killing the woman in the early hours of Aug. 20. Jeong is accused of murder, mutilating the victim’s body and disposing of parts of it. He reportedly told investigators that he strang

2026-08-27 17:01:17:00

Father of deceased Jeju woman questions why she was found in palm grove

The father of Jang Mi-ran, who was found dead months after being reported missing, said he cannot understand why his daughter's body was discovered in a place she had been afraid of. Police said Tuesday that a body found at a palm tree farm near Jang's residence on Monday had been confirmed as hers. Evidence indicates she died just hours after leaving her home sometime between late May 12 and the early hours of May 13. Her father told Yonhap News Agency that Jang had actively avoided the farm wh

2026-08-27 14:52:56:00

Jeju police chief apologizes over mishandled missing person cases

Jeju Police Commissioner Ko Pyeong-gi on Thursday issued a public apology after two people whose missing person cases were closed by a police officer on allegedly false grounds were later found dead. “I bow my head in apology to the two deceased people who never made it back to their families, and to the bereaved families suffering grief beyond description,” Ko said in a statement at the Jeju Provincial Police Agency. A Jeju police officer surnamed Bu is accused of closing the case of Jang Mi-ra

2026-08-27 13:36:43:00

Jang Mi-ran case leaves Korea asking how to handle missing adults

The death of Jang Mi-ran after her missing-person case was allegedly closed on false grounds has renewed scrutiny of South Korea’s system for finding missing adults. South Korea tracks missing-person reports involving adults, but ordinary adult cases are not covered by the same legal framework that allows nationwide alerts, certain forms of location tracking and DNA testing for children, people with specified disabilities and people with dementia. More than 70,000 adults were reported missing ea

2026-08-26 15:15:17:00

Intoxication-related ER visits surge among teens, young adults

South Korea has seen a sharp increase in the share of teens and people in their 20s receiving emergency medical care for intoxication involving medications, gases and other toxic substances, a government report showed Wednesday. Of 98,615 people who visited emergency rooms for injuries in 2025, 6,816 were treated for intoxication, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. Those in their 20s accounted for 18.1 percent of intoxication patients, the highest share of any age grou

2026-08-26 14:49:57:00

Senior Jeju police officers removed from duty over missing-person scandal

The Jeju missing-person scandal deepened Tuesday as senior officers were removed from duty and new details emerged about how a police officer allegedly falsely closed cases involving two people who were later found dead. Four senior officers at Jeju Seobu Police Station have been suspended from their duties in connection with the cases, the National Police Agency said. The officer at the center of the investigation, surnamed Bu, is accused of closing missing-person cases after falsely claiming t

2026-08-25 15:27:13:00

How to get permission to bring controlled medication into Korea

Travelers can bring certain controlled medications into South Korea for personal treatment, but they must obtain approval from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety before entering the country. This can apply to some medicines commonly prescribed or sold over the counter overseas. South Korea strictly regulates narcotics, psychotropic substances and other controlled drugs, including some ingredients found in medicines widely used in other countries. One example is dextromethorphan, an ingredient

2026-08-25 13:19:11:00

Jeju officer who falsely closed Jang Mi-ran case also accused of domestic abuse, sex crime

The Jeju police officer accused of falsely closing two missing-person cases, both involving people who were later found dead, had previously been reported for suspected domestic violence and investigated for entering a women's restroom, according to local media reports. The revelations have raised questions over why the officer, surnamed Bu, was assigned to missing-person cases despite previous allegations of misconduct. In 2023, police received a report of suspected domestic violence involving

2026-08-25 12:16:10:00

Former policeman arrested on suspicion of murdering wife on Jeju Island

A Seoul-based former police officer who had been reported missing in another area was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of murdering his wife on Jeju Island. Seogwipo police captured the suspect in Gyeonggi Province at around 12:30 a.m. Tuesday. The man is accused of stabbing his wife to death at around 7 p.m. Monday at her home in Seogwipo. The couple was going through a divorce and lived apart. The man's family reported him as missing at around 1:52 p.m. on Sunday. The family filed the missing-per

2026-08-25 11:21:11:00