KB News Desk
Police on Tuesday denied allegations that they had changed their position on the death of Jang Mi-ran, the 37-year-old woman who was found dead at a palm tree farm on Jeju Island after being reported missing on May 15.
Yoo initially said Jang was suspected to have died by hanging on Aug. 24, the day her body was found. The Jeju Provincial Police Agency also said at the time that it had found no signs of foul play based on the condition and position of her body.
But Hong Seok-ki, head of the National Office of Investigation, said Monday that the exact cause of death could not be determined because Jang’s body was severely decomposed, raising questions over the basis for the initial assessment.
Following the initial announcement, questions were raised given the palm trees’ dense thorns and flexible trunks, as well as the fact that nearby residents reportedly did not notice any unusual smell. Testimony from Jang’s boyfriend that she had been afraid of the farm also fueled questions over the police announcement.
“The National Forensic Service’s assessment was that the body was too severely decomposed to determine the cause of death, but that death by hanging could be considered,” Acting National Police Agency Commissioner General Yoo Jae-seong said Tuesday.
Yoo made the remarks during a meeting of the National Assembly’s Public Administration and Security Committee in central Seoul.
“The head of the National Office of Investigation mentioned only part of the assessment,” Yoo said. “He said police would keep all possibilities open because the exact cause of death could not be determined. I cannot agree with the claim that police changed their position.”
The Jeju Provincial Police Agency handed over the case against Bu, a police officer accused of falsely closing Jang’s missing-person case, to prosecutors Tuesday after announcing the results of its investigation. Police are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding Jang’s death separately.
Bu is accused of falsely closing two missing-person cases — Jang’s and one involving a man in his 60s — without attempting to contact either of them.
The man was reported missing July 2 and Jang was reported missing May 15. Both were later found dead at different locations on Jeju Island, on Aug. 22 and Aug. 24, respectively, during searches prompted by repeated reports from their families.
Police said Bu’s false reports had complicated the investigation into Jang’s death. Most surveillance footage from the area was no longer available because its retention period had expired.
Investigators are also examining how Jang’s body went unnoticed for months and conducting a digital forensic examination of her smartphone.
