Acting Police Chief Kim Jongcheol Visits Jeju Province on First Field Trip, Pledging to "Leave No Gaps in Missing-Person Investigations"

[Financial News] Newly appointed acting Commissioner General of the Korean National Police Agency Kim Jongcheol visited Jeju Province on his first field trip after taking office. He personally inspected the police response to a series of missing-person cases and announced plans to overhaul the entire missing-person investigation system.
After receiving a briefing on current issues at the Jeju Provincial Police Agency on the afternoon of the 3rd, Acting Commissioner Kim held a press conference and explained, "I came to Jeju as the first destination of my field visits to examine on the ground the heavy responsibility for failing to protect the lives and safety of the people and to devise effective measures."
Immediately after arriving in Jeju Province, Acting Commissioner Kim visited the funeral altar of a man in his 60s who was found dead after his missing-person report had been improperly closed as false, and offered condolences to his family. He then visited the site in Hallim-eup, Jeju City, where the body of Jang Mi-ran, a woman in her 30s who had gone missing, was found.
Acting Commissioner Kim said, "I sincerely apologized to the bereaved family," adding, "I promised that I would set the police right and make sure this never happens again." In response, the family told him, in essence, "Thank you for coming. Please look into things carefully so that this does not happen again."
Acting Commissioner Kim instructed newly appointed Jeju Provincial Police Agency Commissioner Kim Byeong-chan to pay particular attention to public safety. He said, "I instructed him to pay special attention to public safety so that residents and tourists visiting Jeju do not feel excessively anxious because of this incident and can go about their livelihoods in peace."
Regarding the investigation into Jang’s case, he said, "The investigation is under way, and as you know, we were notified that the cause of death was undetermined due to advanced decomposition." He added, "We are investigating while keeping all possibilities open." He continued, "Once the investigation produces results, I will disclose them fully and without alteration to the public and the media."
He also announced a comprehensive overhaul of the response system for missing-person cases. Acting Commissioner Kim said, "I have ordered measures to overhaul the system as my first directive as acting commissioner general," adding, "I will carefully review every stage and process—from the receipt of a missing-person report through the search, investigation and closure—to ensure there is not the slightest gap."
Acting Commissioner Kim is scheduled to chair a meeting on measures to overhaul missing-person investigations on the 4th. He emphasized, "I will examine every detail meticulously so that this never happens again."
He also expressed concern that public trust in the police had reached a critical point. Acting Commissioner Kim said, "As I mentioned at the leadership meeting this morning, I believe the current situation has brought public trust in our police to a critical point because of our negligence." He added, "I will not simply say, 'We will do better; please trust us.'" He continued, "We will be judged by our actions and concrete results. Please watch us."
[email protected] Kim Ye-ji Reporter