[Exclusive] Police officer who falsely closed Jang Mi-ran case received commissioner general commendation for finding a missing person two months ago

[Financial News] A police officer from Jeju Western Police Station, who is accused of falsely closing the missing-person case of Jang Mi-ran, was found to have received a commendation from the Commissioner General of the Korean National Police Agency just two months ago for helping find a missing person. As it also emerged that he had previously been investigated by internal affairs over a domestic violence-related matter and referred to a disciplinary committee, controversy is expected over the police reward system.
According to materials submitted by the Jeju Provincial Police Agency to Park Soo-min of the People Power Party on the 26th, A, the police sergeant who handled the initial report in the disappearance case of Jang Mi-ran, 37, received a commendation from the commissioner general on June 26 for his role in finding a missing elderly person with dementia. That was about a month after Jang went missing and roughly a month and a half after A closed her case.
This was not the first time A had been honored for finding a missing person or someone who attempted suicide. He had previously received a commendation from the chief of Jeju Western Police Station in September last year for quickly locating a person who had attempted suicide. A police officer who was repeatedly recognized for quickly finding missing persons and suicide attempt cases ended up closing Jang's disappearance case just about 2 hours and 30 minutes after the report was filed.
A's record of commendations totaled 10 over the past decade. In 2024, he received a commendation from the chief of the Jeju Provincial Police Agency for helping arrest a suspect in a special theft case. In 2021, he received a commissioner general commendation for contributing to the development of police administration. In 2020, he received a commendation from the chief of Jeju Western Police Station for crime prevention through locally tailored policing activities, and in the same year he also received a group commendation from the commissioner general for strong public security performance. Year-end regular commendations and Police Day awards were also included in his record.
However, A was also found to have previously been investigated over misconduct. In the past 10 years of disciplinary-related investigation and handling records submitted by the Jeju Provincial Police Agency, A is listed as having undergone an internal affairs investigation in March last year over domestic violence allegations and being referred to a disciplinary committee. He is currently also under investigation over the disappearance case involving Jang and his entry into a women's restroom. 
Earlier, A was urgently arrested on the 22nd on charges including falsifying public electronic records and obstructing the performance of official duties by deceit, in connection with the false closure of Jang's disappearance case. He was later released on the 24th after the court granted a review of the legality of his arrest, but the Jeju District Court issued an arrest warrant for him the following day, citing concerns over destruction of evidence and flight risk. Jang was found dead on the 24th in a palm grove near Hallim-eup, Jeju-si, 104 days after she was last seen. 
The case has heightened calls for a broader review not only of how frontline officers handle missing-person cases, but also of the overall internal command and management system. That is because A had previously been investigated over domestic violence allegations and referred to a disciplinary committee, yet later received multiple commendations, and it was also revealed that he received a commissioner general commendation for finding a missing person even after closing Jang's disappearance case. Critics say it is now necessary to examine how misconduct and disciplinary records, as well as the appropriateness of case handling, are verified during the award process.
Rep. Park Soo-min said, "Who could possibly accept that a police officer who falsely closed a missing-person case and left the public's lives and safety unprotected received a commissioner general commendation for finding a missing person just two months ago?" He added, "This raises questions not only about the misconduct of an individual officer, but also about the police's reward system, supervision, and verification process for misconduct." 
[email protected] Kim Ye-ji Reporter