Prosecutors' supplementary investigation requests top 60,000; unsolved cases pile up

Prosecutors sent back more than 60,000 cases to police in the first half of this year demanding supplementary investigation, while unsolved cases registered by police surpassed 100,000 — a sign that officers on the ground face a growing workload as their authority has expanded without a matching increase in staffing or budget.

According to data People Power Party lawmaker Kim Jae-seop obtained from the Korean National Police Agency, prosecutors returned 65,913 cases to police with supplementary investigation requests between January and June this year.

The number of such requests has been rising. Last year it reached 110,623 — the highest annual figure on record — up 27.2 percent from 2021, the first year the system took effect.

Analysts cite inadequate initial investigations, a general lack of investigative capacity, excessive caseloads, and insufficient staffing and budgets as the main reasons behind the rise in supplementary investigation requests. The 2021 reform of investigative authority between prosecutors and police gave police the power to close cases at the first-instance level, expanding their authority and responsibility — but the staffing and budget needed to support that expanded role have remained stagnant.

Prosecutorial demands for supplementary investigation have also dragged out police inquiries in a growing number of cases. A prominent example: the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Metropolitan Investigation Unit's financial crimes squad has been investigating Bang Si-hyuk, chairman of Hybe, for more than a year on charges of fraudulent unfair trading — allegedly netting about 260 billion won ($175 million) in illicit gains — and applied twice for an arrest warrant for Bang, but prosecutors rejected both applications. The Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office said police had failed to fulfill its supplementary investigation requirements.

The financial crimes squad also applied twice for an arrest warrant for Cha Ga-won, chief executive of entertainment agency One Hundred Label, who faces fraud charges involving about 30 billion won, but prosecutors rejected both applications. Prosecutors are reported to have returned the case with a supplementary investigation request, asking police to reexamine the applicable charges.

Meanwhile, the number of unsolved cases that police register after failing to resolve them on their own has exceeded 200,000 annually for four consecutive years. Given that police receive about 3 million cases a year, roughly 7 percent of all cases go unsolved each year.

The number of newly registered unsolved cases stood at 135,431 in 2018 and climbed to 220,241 last year — a 62.6 percent increase. Through last month, the figure had already reached 102,567, and the annual total is expected to surpass 200,000 again.