On August 28, 2026, the Korea Economist reported that a series of disappearance incidents in Jeju Island, a popular tourist destination in South Korea, and problems surrounding the police response are beginning to affect tourists' choice of travel destinations.

According to the article, recently in South Korea, regarding a disappearance incident that occurred in Jeju Island, the police concluded the case after stating they had confirmed the safety of the individual, but it was later found that the missing person had actually died. The police officer in charge who processed the case falsely is also suspected of having deleted case-related records, leading to widespread distrust in the police. Furthermore, the successive discovery of missing persons' bodies around the time of this incident has heightened anxiety about public safety.

Regarding the disappearance incident that triggered this, a woman who disappeared in May was found dead on August 24 in a farm in Jeju City. At present, it has not been clearly confirmed as a homicide, and investigations into the exact cause of death and circumstances surrounding the death are ongoing, including through mobile phone analysis.

The article introduces a case where a South Korean woman, who had been considering Jeju Island as a summer vacation destination, changed her travel plans to Japan due to concerns about recent disappearance incidents and public safety issues. This woman reportedly said, 'I was hesitant to go to Japan because you never know when an earthquake might occur. Even so, with earthquakes, you can prepare to some extent, but in Jeju Island, you don't know what might happen, so I decided to go to Japan.'

Furthermore, unverified information is also spreading on social media. An 'Jeju Island Missing Persons Map' with unclear origins has appeared online, and expressions comparing Jeju Island to regions famous for their precarious public safety have emerged. Claims linking visa-free entry for Chinese nationals with crime are also spreading.

In response, the local tourism industry is reportedly growing increasingly wary not only of the incidents themselves but also of the spread of information on social media that mixes facts with speculation. Concerns are being voiced by those in the restaurant industry in Jeju Island, saying, 'The problem lies with the police response in this incident, yet Jeju Island itself is being perceived as a place with poor public safety.' Furthermore, tourism industry officials pointed out that the reason Jeju Island has been supported as a tourist destination is its image as 'a very safe and clean region.' They explained that not only the actual danger level but also the psychological sense of security felt by travelers influences tourism demand.

The article stated, 'Regarding the rumors about Jeju Island, we should approach it with statistics, not emotions. The scale of tourists, the number of crimes, and types of crimes should be objectively disclosed, and the impact of systems on public safety needs to be verified. If problems are identified, the system should be supplemented, and if there is no basis, the facts should be clarified.' It continued, 'What Jeju must recover is not just the number of tourists. It must recover both the trust that 'the police will act if reported' and the trust that 'official announcements can be believed.' Measures to prevent recurrence are also necessary, such as electronically recording the process from receiving missing persons reports to search, identification, and case conclusion, and mandating confirmation by a superior at the time of conclusion.'

Regarding this, South Korean netizens' comments included: 'I understand the feeling that public safety is scarier than earthquakes,' 'Maybe it's better not to go to Jeju for a while,' 'What's wrong with the Jeju police? Anger and fear are welling up,' 'Jeju Island is a representative tourist destination of South Korea, but its image is worsening,' 'If the police made false reports, it's natural for tourists to feel anxious,' 'First, they should clarify the facts,' and 'What is being questioned in this issue is the very basic sense of security towards the police and government.'

Other comments included: 'I think it's wrong to conclude that the entire Jeju Island is dangerous based on just a few incidents,' 'I understand the anxiety, but overly exaggerated stories are spreading online,' 'Many people live on Jeju Island, but suddenly it's being treated like an uncivilized island of horror stories,' and 'Not limited to this, there's a need for regulations on people who post fear-mongering content without basis online.'