South Korean police to review 310,000 closed missing person cases

SEOUL, Aug. 26 (Yonhap) -- Police plan to conduct a comprehensive review of about 310,000 missing person cases closed over the past three years following controversies surrounding a missing person case on the southern resort island of Jeju, Yonhap News Agency has learned.

The National Police Agency (NPA) is preparing a set of measures aimed at overhauling its missing person investigation system, with the review scheduled to be completed by November, officials said.

The agency will identity cases considered particularly vulnerable to improper closure and recheck whether the missing persons are safe and whether the cases were handled appropriately.

If the review uncovers cases suspected of having been handled improperly or inadequately, the NPA will immediately reopen the investigations and report the findings to relevant regional authorities.

Provincial and metropolitan police agencies will also review cases closed by police stations in their jurisdictions every week and order reinvestigations when necessary.

The move comes after a police officer was found to have closed a missing person case in May without confirming the woman's safety. Her body was found Monday after police launched an intensive search for her last week.