"More Difficult During Holidays" Families of Missing Persons in Distress

Missing Adults, Children, and Dementia Patients... When Will They Return to Their Families?
Experts: "Never Lose Hope That They Can Be Found"

Families of missing persons cannot welcome the annual holidays with joy. They do not know whether their missing loved ones are alive, and they are always filled with sorrow, wondering if they will ever be found.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] During holidays when all relatives gather, the sorrow and frustration of families of missing persons inevitably deepen. They cannot know whether their lost family members are alive, and recently, due to the impact of COVID-19, even distributing flyers on the streets to 'find missing persons' has become impossible, causing their hearts to burn with anxiety. An expert who has spent a long time with families of missing persons emphasized that hope?that families can definitely be found?is the most important thing.

Every year, tens of thousands of adult missing person cases occur domestically. According to the National Police Agency's statistical yearbook, the number of runaway reports for adults aged 18 and over were ▲67,907 in 2016 ▲65,830 in 2017 ▲75,592 in 2018 ▲75,432 in 2019 ▲67,612 in 2020.

Moreover, the number of missing persons who remain unfound after runaway reports is increasing annually. Those who remain unfound after runaway reports numbered 487 in 2017, 524 in 2018, 673 in 2019, and 1,178 in 2020, showing an upward trend each year. In the case of missing children, 32 children were reported missing over the five years from 2017 to 2021.

In addition, the number of missing elderly people suffering from dementia is also increasing. In 2012, 7,650 reports were filed annually requesting help to find lost dementia patients, but this number rose to 12,479 in 2019. From January to July this year, 8,444 missing person reports were received, 97% of whom were elderly aged 60 or older. Dementia patients who go missing tend to wander outside and lose their way, making them more vulnerable to danger. This is why families of missing dementia patients are deeply distressed.

One family member of a missing person said that holidays make them miss their loved ones more and are harder, and that it was even more difficult because they could not distribute flyers due to COVID-19. Citizens also share their sympathy.

Park, a 40-year-old office worker, said, "Holidays must be even harder for families of missing persons," adding, "I hope they find the missing person soon and bring them back to their family."

Another 30-year-old office worker, Kim, said, "Since COVID-19, I don't think I've seen anyone handing out flyers on the streets looking for missing persons," adding, "Families must be really struggling." He continued, "So when I receive disaster alert texts about finding missing persons, I take a closer look."

Naju-bong, President of the National Association of Citizens Searching for Missing Children and Families [Photo by Yonhap News]

The government also urged citizens to actively report information to help find missing persons. At the 16th Missing Children’s Day ceremony held last May, Cho Gyu-hong, the 1st Vice Minister of Health and Welfare, said in his commemorative speech, "Although the rate of early discovery is high through various missing children prevention and search projects, there are still about 870 cases of missing children lasting more than a year," adding, "Finding missing children relies heavily on reports and tips from ordinary citizens, so I ask the public to take an interest in those around them starting today."

Naju Bong, chairman of the National Association of Families of Missing Children and Missing Persons, emphasized, "Families of missing persons should not give up, and the police should continue to search tirelessly," adding, "Search techniques for missing persons have also advanced significantly." He further said, "I hope everyone stays healthy and does not lose hope."

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