Jeju Island Goes Viral, Allegations of Human Trafficking Report by Indonesian Citizen Highlighted

Kapanlagi.com - The case of several missing citizens on Jeju Island, South Korea, has now become a public focus following the discovery of the body of Jang Mi Ran, a 37-year-old woman who had been reported missing since May 2026. Her body was found on Monday (24/8/2026) in the Hallim-eup plantation area. This discovery has raised concerns among the public, especially after the revelation of alleged false information provided by a police officer to the victim's family.

Within three days, at least four other individuals who were previously reported missing were also found dead in different locations in Jeju. This has sparked speculation on social media regarding safety on the island. One comment that caught attention was from an Indonesian citizen (WNI) with the account kioyyx_, who claimed to be attempting to report suspected human trafficking cases in the Seogwipo area of Jeju.

1. Request for Help on Social Media

Jeju Island (credit: Unsplash/N Riazi)

Kioyyx_ explained that although he is abroad, he wants to report a suspected human trafficking case that he believes is occurring in Seogwipo. In his comment, he asked which agency or institution should be contacted, given the large number of victims. He hopes to follow up on the report soon and asks the police who see his comment to contact him directly.

Another user, cholok_villa, who appears to be a manager of a local accommodation business in Jeju, suggested using the official reporting app of the South Korean police or contacting the embassy of the victims' home country, considering that the large number of victims would be difficult to handle through the comments section.

2. Report Submitted, But No Follow-Up Yet

Kioyyx_ admitted that he reported this suspected case via email to the Jeju Immigration and Foreigners Office almost a month ago. However, he only received a reply that the report has been received and is being processed in order. He also reported it to the Indonesian Embassy in South Korea, but received a response that criminal cases must be reported directly by the victims involved.

The problem is that many victims are undocumented immigrants who are very afraid to report directly to the local police, thus hindering the reporting process. Kioyyx_ emphasized that what he wants to report is not the victims themselves, but the individuals suspected of recruiting them to work illegally in Jeju.

3. The Issue of Human Trafficking Among Migrant Workers

Kioyyx_ claims that the individual in question is an Indonesian citizen residing in Jeju, who allegedly recruits people from Indonesia in exchange for around 7 million won (approximately Rp 89 million) per person. They stated that the number of people sent through this route has reached hundreds to over a thousand individuals. Kioyyx_ also claims to have evidence related to these illegal activities.

The issue of human trafficking has become a serious problem for Indonesian migrant workers, especially for those who do not have official documents. Non-procedural migrant workers often become targets of human trafficking (TPPO) due to the lack of legal protection, which makes them vulnerable to exploitation and debt bondage by recruiters.

Until now, there has been no official statement from the Jeju immigration authorities, the South Korean police, or the Indonesian Embassy in South Korea regarding the claims made by kioyyx_.

(kpl/rsp)