Controversy Over Alleged Poor Treatment of Second Missing-Person Report in Kheena Kim Case; Police Say It Was Handled Promptly Under Procedure
- Input
- 2026-08-24 18:23:51
- Updated
- 2026-08-24 18:23:51
The Seoul Nowon Police Station said on the 24th that it "confirmed the case promptly in accordance with procedure and transferred it to the relevant police station."
According to police, at around 3:50 p.m. on July 19, the missing woman's cousin visited the missing-person team at the Seoul Nowon Police Station. After an interview, the officer on duty formally accepted the report at 4:16 p.m. The case was then transferred to the Jeju West Police Station, which has jurisdiction, at 5:03 p.m. that same day.
Police rejected claims of a delayed response or poor treatment, saying they were untrue. A police official explained, "It took about 26 minutes from the time the reporter visited until the case was formally accepted, and we checked in advance whether a report had already been filed during the interview process." The official added, "We proceeded only after confirming the intent to file a missing-person report through a phone call between the reporter and the missing person's direct relative."
Meanwhile, police found a female body believed to be Kim at 10:46 a.m. in Hallim-eup, Jeju Province, 104 days after her disappearance, and are now confirming her identity.
No suicide note was found at the scene, and police plan to determine the exact identity and cause of death through a detailed forensic examination. Acting Commissioner General of the Korean National Police Agency Jaesung Yoo told a plenary session of the Security and Public Administration Committee at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, on the same day, "There are still no signs in the body believed to be Kim's that suggest homicide." He added, "According to the report I received from the Jeju Provincial Police Agency chief, she is believed to have died by hanging."
[email protected] Seo Ji-yoon Reporter