Korea's First Profiler: 'Homicide More Likely Than Suicide'

The nation's first profiler has diagnosed that the possibility of homicide is higher than suicide in the case of Jang Mi-ran, 37, who was found dead in Jeju. Bae Sang-hoon, an adjunct professor of Police Administration at Woosuk University, presented his analysis during an interview on YTN Radio's "News Highway with Jang Seong-cheol" on the 26th. When asked about the likelihood of suicide versus homicide, he stated, "I see it as 49.99 to 50.01 in favor of homicide," suggesting the likelihood of foul play is slightly higher.

Profiler Bae emphasized the need to verify the victim's movements prior to entering the farm, asking, "Did she have any experience with palm groves?" He noted, "Usually, in cases like this, the easiest solution for investigative authorities is 'suicide,' and it is more convenient for them to close the case as a suicide." He added that aside from the body and the message left by the victim, statements from acquaintances are secondary, stating, "It is too early to jump to conclusions as there are many more possibilities."

Bae Sang-hoon, Korea's first profiler, predicted that the cause of death may remain undetermined. His reasoning was that 104 days passed before the body was found, meaning evidence that should have been at the scene was lost, making it difficult to reconstruct the circumstances at the time of death. "Too much time has passed and evidence has disappeared, making it highly likely it will remain undetermined," Bae explained. He added, "The police are engaging in various media plays to cover up their mistakes, so this needs to be thoroughly scrutinized."

Previously, Ms. Jang left her long-term accommodation in Jeju at around 10:15 p.m. on May 12 and subsequently lost contact with her family. The missing person report was falsely closed as 'resolved' by a serving police officer, resulting in no search being conducted. Her body was discovered 104 days after her disappearance on the 24th at a palm farm approximately 400 meters from her accommodation. Police are presuming the cause of death to be strangulation and are conducting an investigation to determine the exact cause of death.