National Police Agency upgrades missing person case system to require supervisor approval

SEOUL, Aug. 21 (Yonhap) -- The National Police Agency (NPA) has begun making system upgrades to require the approval of a supervisor in order to close a missing person case, officials said Friday, following allegations an officer mishandled such a case on the southern island of Jeju.

Under the current missing person electronic system, police officers who receive missing person reports are able to independently close cases at their own discretion.

To prevent improper or unjustified closure of cases, the NPA has begun reforming the system so that when the officer in charge asks to close a missing person case, a supervisor will be required to verify the reason and entered information before granting approval.

The proposed reform comes after a police officer allegedly failed to adequately confirm the safety of a missing person on Jeju prior to closing the case. The missing woman, 37-year-old Jang Mi-ran, has been missing since an initial report was filed in May.

"The need for improvement has been further highlighted by this recent missing person case on Jeju, prompting us to expedite the overhaul," a police official said.

The police aim to complete the system overhaul within a month.