@article{ART003367487},
author={Hwang Min-Ho and Heo Sung-Wook and Ku Ha-Hyun and Yeom Keon-Ryeong},
title={A Comparative Institutional Study on the Tracing of Adult Runaways and Voluntary Missing Adults by Private Investigators; Focusing on the UK, Germany, and France},
journal={Industry Promotion Research},
issn={2466-1139},
year={2026},
volume={11},
number={3},
pages={345-357},
doi={10.21186/IPR.2026.11.3.345}
TY - JOUR
AU - Hwang Min-Ho
AU - Heo Sung-Wook
AU - Ku Ha-Hyun
AU - Yeom Keon-Ryeong
TI - A Comparative Institutional Study on the Tracing of Adult Runaways and Voluntary Missing Adults by Private Investigators; Focusing on the UK, Germany, and France
JO - Industry Promotion Research
PY - 2026
VL - 11
IS - 3
PB - Industrial Promotion Institute
SP - 345
EP - 357
SN - 2466-1139
AB - Recognizing severity of the issue regarding adult runaways and voluntary missing adults - who are excluded from mandatory police investigations under current law and placed in the blind spot of state authority - this study explores improvement measures for the private investigator(PI) system as an alternative for rapid tracking. Adult missing cases without suspected criminal involvement face structural limitations, including the loss of the golden time due to delayed investigations, the volatility of digital evidence, and the escalation of risks. To overcome these challenges, this study derived four institutional improvement measures suitable for the South Korean context through a comparative legal analysis of the PI operating models in the UK, Germany, and France. First, to prevent the proliferation of unqualified practitioners and illegal investigations, a state-led certified private investigator system modeled after France’s CNAPS should be introduced. Second, by utilizing the UK’s Legitimate Interests Assessment system, limited access to information should be permitted only when the legality and necessity of the investigation are proven, thereby fundamentally blocking malicious requests. Third, similar to Germany’s BMG model, proxy access rights to public administrative networks under the supervision of competent authorities need to be granted exclusively for cases where objective interests are substantiated. Fourth, referring to the UK’s Credit Reference Agency model, access rights to minimum header data for verifying proof of life should be guaranteed. In conclusion, to protect the lives of missing adults and ensure private right remedies, prompt legislation is required to grant PIs lawful and limited investigative authority under the premise of strict administrative management and supervision.
KW - Private Investigator;Adult Runaway;Voluntary Missing Adult;Legitimate Interests Assessment(LIA);Private Investigator’s Right to Access Administrative Information;Private Investigation
DO - 10.21186/IPR.2026.11.3.345
ER -
Hwang Min-Ho, Heo Sung-Wook, Ku Ha-Hyun and Yeom Keon-Ryeong. (2026). A Comparative Institutional Study on the Tracing of Adult Runaways and Voluntary Missing Adults by Private Investigators; Focusing on the UK, Germany, and France. Industry Promotion Research, 11(3), 345-357.
Hwang Min-Ho, Heo Sung-Wook, Ku Ha-Hyun and Yeom Keon-Ryeong. 2026, "A Comparative Institutional Study on the Tracing of Adult Runaways and Voluntary Missing Adults by Private Investigators; Focusing on the UK, Germany, and France", Industry Promotion Research, vol.11, no.3 pp.345-357. Available from: doi:10.21186/IPR.2026.11.3.345
Hwang Min-Ho, Heo Sung-Wook, Ku Ha-Hyun, Yeom Keon-Ryeong "A Comparative Institutional Study on the Tracing of Adult Runaways and Voluntary Missing Adults by Private Investigators; Focusing on the UK, Germany, and France" Industry Promotion Research 11.3 pp.345-357 (2026) : 345.
Hwang Min-Ho, Heo Sung-Wook, Ku Ha-Hyun, Yeom Keon-Ryeong. A Comparative Institutional Study on the Tracing of Adult Runaways and Voluntary Missing Adults by Private Investigators; Focusing on the UK, Germany, and France. 2026; 11(3), 345-357. Available from: doi:10.21186/IPR.2026.11.3.345
Hwang Min-Ho, Heo Sung-Wook, Ku Ha-Hyun and Yeom Keon-Ryeong. "A Comparative Institutional Study on the Tracing of Adult Runaways and Voluntary Missing Adults by Private Investigators; Focusing on the UK, Germany, and France" Industry Promotion Research 11, no.3 (2026) : 345-357.doi: 10.21186/IPR.2026.11.3.345
Hwang Min-Ho; Heo Sung-Wook; Ku Ha-Hyun; Yeom Keon-Ryeong. A Comparative Institutional Study on the Tracing of Adult Runaways and Voluntary Missing Adults by Private Investigators; Focusing on the UK, Germany, and France. Industry Promotion Research, 11(3), 345-357. doi: 10.21186/IPR.2026.11.3.345
Hwang Min-Ho; Heo Sung-Wook; Ku Ha-Hyun; Yeom Keon-Ryeong. A Comparative Institutional Study on the Tracing of Adult Runaways and Voluntary Missing Adults by Private Investigators; Focusing on the UK, Germany, and France. Industry Promotion Research. 2026; 11(3) 345-357. doi: 10.21186/IPR.2026.11.3.345
Hwang Min-Ho, Heo Sung-Wook, Ku Ha-Hyun, Yeom Keon-Ryeong. A Comparative Institutional Study on the Tracing of Adult Runaways and Voluntary Missing Adults by Private Investigators; Focusing on the UK, Germany, and France. 2026; 11(3), 345-357. Available from: doi:10.21186/IPR.2026.11.3.345
Hwang Min-Ho, Heo Sung-Wook, Ku Ha-Hyun and Yeom Keon-Ryeong. "A Comparative Institutional Study on the Tracing of Adult Runaways and Voluntary Missing Adults by Private Investigators; Focusing on the UK, Germany, and France" Industry Promotion Research 11, no.3 (2026) : 345-357.doi: 10.21186/IPR.2026.11.3.345
