The picturesque Jeju Island in South Korea has become the focus of an investigation after four bodies were discovered in 72 hours amid allegations of the police closing hundreds of missing persons cases.At least four people who were reported missing on the Korean island were found dead on trails and residential areas over three days through Monday, according to the local police.While authorities have been investigating the deaths, a 35-year-old police officer, surnamed Bu, has been arrested for the premature closure of multiple missing person cases on the island.One case involved Jang Mi Ran, 37, whose body was found on Monday about 104 days after she was reported missing. Police also recovered the body of a man in his 60s on Saturday, more than 50 days after a missing complaint was filed with the local law enforcement.Another man in his 70s was found dead by a person fishing on the island, while the fourth body was found near a valley in Aewol-eup, Jeju City, on Monday.The allegations have prompted the police to review all 298 missing-person reports ​handled ⁠by the officer, about 10 of which are being examined for possible improper closure.A policeman takes part in a search operation of a missing person Jang Mi-ran in Jeju on the Jeju island, South Korea, August 24, 2026 (Reuters)The suspected officer was detained on Tuesday on suspicion of dereliction of duty, falsifying official ⁠electronic records, and obstructing official duties, the Yonhap News Agency reported. He has denied the charges and claimed that he had contacted Jang and the man in his 60s before closing the cases.However, the police have been unable to find records that prove that Mr Bu had contacted either of the two missing people.Since the discoveries, four senior officers at Jeju Seobu police station have been suspended from their duties in connection with the cases. The National Police Agency said it was conducting an internal inspection to determine whether the officers properly supervised the handling of the cases.South Korean president Lee Jae Myung on Tuesday called for greater police accountability in the wake of public outrage over the handling of the missing persons cases on the island.“The recent breakdown in police discipline and irresponsibility in public safety matters have become a serious problem,” Lee told a cabinet meeting.“Police are likely to wield the greatest power among state institutions,” adding that the public questioned whether the force could bear the responsibility."Responsibility must be strengthened in proportion ⁠to the size of the authority," he added.The plot thickened this week after a former police officer was arrested for allegedly stabbing his estranged wife to death at her home in Seogwipo city on the island.Police officers inspect the scene where the body of missing person Jang Mi-ran was discovered at a palm tree farm in Jeju on the Jeju island, South Korea (Reuters)The man, whose identity has not been revealed, served as a police officer for six years on Jeju island before retiring, and has since been living in Seoul, The Korea Herald reported.Police reportedly believe that the suspected stabbing was motivated by an ongoing divorce. The ex-police officer has denied charges.The spate of killings has sent shockwaves across South Korea, with holidaygoers now cancelling their summer trip to the island famous for its volcanoes and cliffs.Jeju island’s foreign tourist arrivals have substantially grown in the past two years, according to official data. The island recorded a 21.5 per cent rise in tourist footfall in the first five months of 2026."We were in Jeju in May... and during the check-in, the landlord kept repeating that we shouldn’t loiter outside the premises and to always drive out," wrote a woman named Shay on X."One night after we parked our car, my partner went inside the villa while I stayed outside playing with a stray cat. Not even a min later, the landlord came out of his house, approached me and told me to go back inside saying it wasn’t safe," she added.A post read: "Just cancelled my JEJU flights and hotels my fear has taken over after the news."Another user on X shared that they were cancelling their three-day trip to Jeju in September. The crisis in Jeju has prompted police agencies across South Korea to review previously closed missing-person reports, according to local media.Police in Seoul were reviewing 92,800 missing-person reports filed and later closed since January 2024.In Busan, police have begun reviewing cases filed from January 2024 through July 2026 after 99 per cent of the 25,605 missing-person reports filed during that period were closed.