Chairs emergency police command meeting

Orders review of long-term missing-person cases at all police stations nationwide

Minister of Interior and Safety Yun Ho-jung bows in a public apology alongside acting Korean National Police Agency Commissioner Yu Jae-seong and National Investigation Headquarters Chief Hong Seok-gi at a police command meeting held at Government Complex Seoul in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on Wednesday, in connection with the Jeju case in which a missing-person report was falsely closed. [Pool photo via Yonhap]
Minister of Interior and Safety Yun Ho-jung bows in a public apology alongside acting Korean National Police Agency Commissioner Yu Jae-seong and National Investigation Headquarters Chief Hong Seok-gi at a police command meeting held at Government Complex Seoul in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on Wednesday, in connection with the Jeju case in which a missing-person report was falsely closed. [Pool photo via Yonhap]

Minister of Interior and Safety Yun Ho-jung has ordered the police command to conduct a thorough investigation into a Jeju case in which a missing-person report was fraudulently closed.

Yun chaired an emergency police command meeting at Government Complex Seoul on Wednesday, where he said he takes the misconduct "very seriously" as the minister responsible for public safety. "Together with the police command, I sincerely apologize to the public," he said.

"We must get to the full truth of the Jeju case," Yun said, urging investigators to examine the motive and circumstances behind the incident and determine whether it is connected to any larger misconduct, including the concealment of other cases.

He also called for a comprehensive review of all cases handled by the officer involved, as well as a thorough check of long-term missing-person cases at every police station across the country. "If any misconduct or improper conduct comes to light in the process, those responsible must be held strictly accountable," he said.

Yun said the current missing-persons work system also needs scrutiny. "Improving the missing-persons profiling system is important, but what matters more is a deeper look at the overall operation," he said, asking officials to review the existing system and draw up improvement measures.

The minister also called for a broader review of police operations as a whole.

"I ask that you review all areas of your respective duties and move quickly on any improvements needed," he said, adding that if there are legal or institutional gaps, consultations with the National Assembly and relevant ministries should be expedited.

The meeting was attended by Yun, acting agency Commissioner Yu and all bureau and division heads.

Yun said a historic overhaul of the criminal justice system is set for October and stressed that no institutional loopholes can be tolerated. "The system must be designed without gaps so that there is no room for case concealment or shielding colleagues from accountability," he said.


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