▲ Police officers inspect a forest on the southern island of Jeju, where 37-year-old Jang Mi-ran was found dead on Aug. 24, 2026, after she was first reported missing May 15. (Yonhap)
▲ A police officer suspected of prematurely closing a missing person case on the southern island of Jeju leaves the Jeju Dongbu Police Station on Aug. 24, 2026, to attend a hearing on the legality of his emergency arrest, two days after being detained without a warrant by the police. (Yonhap)

(ATTN: UPDATES with more missing cases in Jeju in last 4 paras)

JEJU, South Korea, Aug. 24 (Yonhap) -- The presumed body of a missing woman was found Monday on the southern resort island of Jeju, police said, amid an intensive search for the missing person launched belatedly due to a police officer there prematurely, if not illegally, closing the case, allegedly without confirming her safety.

The body was found at 10:46 a.m. in a forest located only about a kilometer away from the residence of 37-year-old Jang Mi-ran who went missing three months earlier, according to the Jeju Provincial Police Agency.

The police were reportedly trying to confirm the identity of the body, while a police official said they planned to conduct an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death.

The official, however, noted there were no immediate signs of foul play, based on the current state of the remains.

Jang was last seen leaving her residence on May 12. A missing person report was filed three days later.

The case only came under the spotlight after the police found out that an officer had prematurely closed the initial case filed in May, possibly without confirming the missing person's safety despite telling her friends and family that he had spoken with her on the phone.

An intensive search for Jang was launched late last week, leading to the discovery of the bodies of at least two other missing persons so far.

The police officer who had prematurely closed Jang's case was placed under arrest Saturday, with a warrant for his formal arrest filed earlier Monday on suspicion of dereliction of duty, falsifying official electronic records and obstruction of official duty through deceptive means.

Ahead of a decision on the arrest warrant, the Jeju District Court ordered his release Monday after reviewing the appropriateness of his emergency arrest at the officer's request.

The court ruled that the emergency arrest was unlawful as the legal requirement for an emergency was not met.

According to the Jeju Coast Guard, another body believed to be that of a man in his 70s was found in waters near eastern Jeju Island at around 3 a.m. Sunday. The Coast Guard found that the man had been reported missing Saturday and is investigating the exact cause of his death.

It marks the fourth body presumed to be the body of a missing person found on Jeju Island over the past week.

Earlier in the day, another missing person was found dead near a valley on western Jeju Island.

On Saturday, a man in his 60s was found dead in the northeastern part of Jeju Island. Police had been looking for the man after the police officer in charge of Jang's case had prematurely closed the case, prompting his family members to report him missing again last week.

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