The number of unsolved cases in South Korea surged by over 46,000 in just three months, surpassing 180,000 just before the transition from the Prosecutor's Office to the new Prosecutor's Office.
As of the end of September, the Prosecutor's Office reported a total of 186,307 unsolved cases nationwide. This figure represents an increase of 21,485 cases (approximately 13%) from the previous record of 164,822 cases at the end of August. Unsolved cases are defined as those that have not been resolved within three months of the investigation commencing.
The rise in unsolved cases has been particularly steep this year. The number of unsolved cases rose from 140,513 at the end of June to 165,020 at the end of July, and after a slight pause in August, it exceeded 180,000 by the end of September. In just three months, the number of unsolved cases increased by 45,794.
A major reason for this explosive growth in unsolved cases is a severe staffing shortage. Legal experts suggest that the existing investigative personnel at the Prosecutor's Office were already insufficient, and the recent deployment of special prosecutor teams, along with a wave of retirements and leaves ahead of the launch of the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency, has delayed case processing.
The challenge now lies in addressing the backlog of over 180,000 unsolved cases. More than 99% of these cases were transferred from primary investigative agencies such as the police or special judicial police. The newly established Prosecutor's Office must review these cases and decide whether to proceed with direct prosecutions or request supplementary investigations from the police and other agencies.
In contrast, cases that were initiated by the Prosecutor's Office must be transferred to other investigative bodies, such as the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency or the police, in accordance with the principle of abolishing prosecutorial investigative powers. The Prosecutor's Office has begun categorizing these cases and started the transfer process on October 6, deciding to send about 100 cases to the police that are deemed difficult to process within 90 days.
However, key cases that are nearing the statute of limitations or are otherwise difficult to transfer immediately will be investigated by the Prosecutor's Office as an exception. This is in accordance with a revised law that allows for a temporary extension of direct investigations for 90 days (until December 30) from the opening of the Prosecutor's Office.
The Seoul Central District Prosecutor's Office plans to continue investigating significant cases, including a fraud case related to Homeplus involving MBK Partners, allegations of slush funds linked to former President Roh Tae-woo that emerged during SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won's divorce proceedings, and election law violations related to the June 3 local elections, which are nearing the six-month statute of limitations.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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