South Korea exit ban requests exceed 40,000 with high approval rates

Requests for exit bans by investigative agencies, including the prosecution and police, exceeded 40,000 last year. Data from the Ministry of Justice shows that approximately 97% of these requests are approved, maintaining a consistent approval rate between 96% and 98% over the past five years.

Despite a significant increase in appeals against these bans, the rate of successful objections remains low, with only 8.4% of appeals being granted over the last five years. Concerns have been raised regarding the potential abuse of the system and the infringement of fundamental rights. The current Immigration Act allows for exit bans on individuals deemed ‘not suitable to leave the country for criminal investigations,’ a provision critics argue is interpreted too broadly.

The National Human Rights Commission of Korea has previously recommended improvements to the system, stating that the Ministry of Justice's review process fails to effectively control or restrain potential abuses. Additionally, the Supreme Court recently ruled that failing to notify individuals of an exit ban can be illegal, ordering state compensation in a case where a person only discovered the ban upon arriving at the airport.