Bodies found on S Korean holiday island as missing persons scandal deepens

Four missing people have been found dead on South Korean holiday island Jeju, as local police face mounting public criticism for allegedly mishandling missing persons cases.

Reports emerged last week that authorities were launching a belated search for a woman reported missing months ago. This sparked criticism of the police for failing to search for her earlier.

The scandal has since deepened with the arrest of a police sergeant, surnamed Bu, who is accused of lying to victims' families and prematurely closing missing persons cases.

Four officers in the sergeant's chain of command have been put on administrative leave and on Tuesday President Lee Jae Myung ordered a sweeping reform of the police force.

Since Saturday, police have found four bodies on the island, including that of 37-year-old Jang Mi-ran who had gone missing in May.

On Monday, her body was located at a palm tree farm about 500 metres (547 yards) from where she was staying. She was believed to have killed herself.

Bu is suspected to have closed Jang's case prematurely without confirming her whereabouts.

According to local reports, Bu had allegedly told Jang's boyfriend that he had spoken to Jang over the phone and she had told Bu she did not wish to speak to her boyfriend.