South Korean justice system faces rising investigation reviews and asset seizure concerns

South Korea is facing challenges within its criminal justice system as both police investigation reviews and criminal proceeds recovery efforts show signs of strain or decline.

Requests for investigation reviews—where parties challenge the fairness or legality of police procedures—are rising sharply. Data from lawmaker Park Ju-min shows that 5,675 such requests were filed between January and August this year, a trend that is expected to surpass last year's total. This surge has led to a backlog, with the Police Investigation Review Committee struggling to process cases within the required three-month window.

Simultaneously, the capacity to recover criminal proceeds is facing uncertainty due to shifts in prosecutorial powers. Data from the Supreme Prosecutors' Office indicates a significant drop in the number and scale of asset seizure and collection orders directly requested by prosecutors. Between January and July this year, these orders totaled 79.1 billion won, a sharp decrease compared to the 1.8 trillion won recorded during the same period last year. Experts express concern that the restructuring of the prosecution into a new prosecution office and the reduction of direct investigative powers may weaken the ability to track and seize assets effectively.