Jeonnam Police Find Missing Intellectually Disabled Person Within 2 Hours of Sending 'Missing Alert Text'

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Chunsu] To quickly locate missing children, individuals with intellectual disabilities, and dementia patients, the "Missing Alert Text Message System" has been in operation since the 9th, and the first case of using a missing alert text message for discovery has emerged in Jeonnam.

According to the Jeonnam Police Agency on the 24th, Kim (44), an individual with an intellectual disability, left his residence in Byeongyeong-myeon, Gangjin-gun around noon on the 23rd and did not return.

The area where the disappearance occurred lacked sufficient CCTV coverage to track the missing person's movements, and due to the characteristics of individuals with intellectual disabilities, if not found early, the case could progress into a long-term disappearance.

Accordingly, the police conceived the missing alert text message system, reviewed the conditions, and sent a missing alert text message to the Gangjin area around 7 p.m. on the 23rd.

About two hours later, at around 9 p.m., the police received a report from a village resident who had received the message and knew the whereabouts of the missing person, and the dispatched police confirmed Kim’s safety at the scene.

According to Article 9-2 of the Act on the Protection and Support of Missing Children, etc., when a missing child, individual with intellectual disability, or dementia patient (under 18 years old) goes missing, personal information of the missing person is sent in the form of a disaster text message to receive tips and enable rapid discovery.

The conditions for sending missing alert text messages include ▲ consent from the guardian ▲ no history of habitual running away ▲ situations where there is concern about potential harm.

The text message contains basic information such as the missing person's name, age, height, and weight, and by clicking the link included in the message, one can view the missing person's photo and detailed physical description.

A Jeonnam Police Agency official stated, “Fortunately, the missing person was found in good health and safely handed over to the family. This is a good case proving the effectiveness of the missing alert text message, and a letter of appreciation will be awarded to the tipster who greatly helped in finding the missing person.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.