[MZ Police Officer] "Great Fulfillment When Handing Over Missing Persons"

Sergeant Seongwon Jo of Songpa Police Station's Missing Persons Investigation Team
Receives the Highest Number of Missing Person Reports Among Police Stations Nationwide

Editor's NoteGeneration Z is coming. It is an era where newcomers in their 20s and 30s decide the future of organizational culture. The police are no exception. The police have various departments such as criminal investigation, investigation, security, intelligence, traffic, administration, public relations, audit, and women & youth. The working environments differ across metropolitan police agencies, police stations, riot police units, and local police substations, and the tasks vary greatly by region. From the perspective of the youngest police officers, we introduce their departments and share vivid stories about their thoughts on work and life.

"It has been confirmed that the missing child passed through this narrow lane."

On the 13th, the Missing Persons Investigation Team at Songpa Police Station in Seoul was extremely busy. Rookie Sergeant Seongwon Jo (34) was doing his utmost to locate the missing child. Through analyzing mobile phone usage records, CCTV footage, and conducting inquiries, they are helping missing persons return to their families as quickly as possible. Sergeant Jo said, "I try my best to find the missing person with the mindset that they are my own family."

Jongwon Cho, a sergeant of the Missing Persons Investigation Team at Songpa Police Station, is identifying the whereabouts of a missing child through security CCTV. 2025. 02. 13 Photo by Dongju Yoon

The Missing Persons Investigation Team is the initial response unit that determines whether a report is a simple runaway or related to a crime once a report is received. Especially in cases involving missing children, youth, and elderly persons, the first 24 to 48 hours are the "golden time," so persistence and meticulousness are essential for the police. Sergeant Jo explained, "When searching for missing persons, I thoroughly check even narrow passages where it seems impossible for a person to enter," adding, "Thanks to this trait, I once found a missing person who had lost consciousness on a remote street on a cold winter day while intoxicated."

Songpa Police Station's Missing Persons Investigation Team receives the highest number of missing person reports among police stations nationwide. There are as few as 8 and as many as 20 reports per day, with 4,500 reports received last year alone. This is because Songpa District has a population of 660,000, the largest among autonomous districts nationwide, and is frequented by domestic and international tourists visiting major attractions such as Seokchon Lake and Lotte World. Sergeant Jo said, "Although the number of missing person reports is high, a total of 10 missing persons investigation officers including the superintendent and team leader, CCTV monitoring personnel, and frontline local police officers work together as a team to solve cases one after another."

No missing person case is taken lightly. Sergeant Jo said, "Even if it is a simple runaway, the risk can increase if the initial response is delayed," and added, "Once a report is received, we try to find the person regardless of the severity."

Joseongwon, Sergeant of the Missing Persons Investigation Team at Songpa Police Station, is posing in front of the Outstanding Investigation Team Plaque. 2025. 02. 13 Photo by Yoon Dongju

Sergeant Jo was assigned to the Missing Persons Investigation Team at Songpa Police Station last year after serving in the 31st Riot Police Unit of the 3rd Riot Police Division at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency. He studied English Language and Literature at university, and his fluent foreign language skills are his greatest asset. In November last year, a report was received about a missing foreign father of Hong Kong nationality in Jamsil, Songpa District. Sergeant Jo immediately conducted inquiries without relying on an interpreter and found the missing person within 2 to 3 hours after the report.

Recently, a missing person report was received from a mother whose daughter suffers from a mental illness. The daughter usually takes bus number 3412 between Gangnam and Gangdong to return home, but she did not arrive on time and her phone was turned off. Sergeant Jo confirmed through inquiries that the missing daughter had taken bus number 3422, which is similar to her usual bus number. He also heard from the bus driver that she got off at Macheon Station. He then told the mother to "rest assured and wait at home," and soon found and handed over the daughter. The mother posted a thank-you message on the Songpa Police Station website. Sergeant Jo said, "It was a natural part of my duty as a police officer, but I feel truly proud."

Sergeant Jo also noted that citizen reports following the issuance of missing person alerts greatly help in finding missing persons. He said, "For urgent missing persons such as elderly dementia patients and children, we send alert text messages," adding, "Thanks to citizens who care as if the missing person were their own family, the missing persons can safely return home."

Sergeant Jo Seong-won of the Songpa Police Station's Missing Persons Investigation Team is tracking the missing child's movements through security CCTV. 2025. 02. 13 Photo by Yoon Dong-joo

Missing persons investigations are like "running" for the police. Just as pace increases when running, missing persons investigations accumulate personal investigative techniques and know-how. Sergeant Jo said, "My strength is building rapport (mutual trust) with the families of missing persons," and added, "I try to provide psychological stability so that the anxious families do not become excessively worried."

Sergeant Jo expressed his desire to utilize his language skills in foreign affairs work in the future. Foreign affairs police handle international crimes and cases involving foreigners, mainly conducting international investigations, foreigner-related crimes, and international cooperation tasks. Sergeant Jo said, "Before becoming a police officer, I also worked as an interpreter supporting a foreign soccer academy that had entered Korea," and added, "Based on my foreign language skills and practical experience, I would like to try working as a foreign affairs police officer."