Interior minister apologizes over police mishandling of missing person case in Jeju

"Along with the police leadership, (I) sincerely apologize to the public," Yun stated during a meeting with senior police officials, emphasizing that "the truth behind the Jeju case must be thoroughly uncovered." He has directed police officials to investigate whether this case is linked to more serious misconduct and to review other missing person cases across the country for similar wrongdoings.

The officer in charge of the case reportedly closed it just hours after the woman's boyfriend filed a missing person report on May 15. The officer is also accused of falsely telling the boyfriend that he had spoken with the missing woman and had been instructed not to share her location. A local court issued an arrest warrant for the officer on Tuesday.

Minister Yun also acknowledged that the case highlighted a structural deficiency in how the police handle missing person cases, calling for a comprehensive review of the current system to implement necessary improvements.