Police file thousands of requests for arrest warrants, but prosecutors reject a growing share, with the rejection rate surpassing 30% for the first time this year. Data cited by multiple outlets show that from January to August, police submit 26,961 arrest warrant requests to the Public Prosecution Service (PPS), and prosecutors reject 9,186, or 34.1%.
Outlets attribute the change partly to concerns among police investigators and to broader reforms to South Korea’s prosecution system. One report says police investigators have complained prosecutors have become more reluctant to seek warrants they request amid an overhaul that separates investigative and indictment functions. The same coverage notes that South Korea abolishes the traditional prosecution office for the first time after 78 years and launches two new agencies, reflecting long-running criticism that prosecutors previously exercised excessive investigative authority.
While the figures match across the reports, they differ mainly in emphasis: one focuses on the rise in the rejection rate and the “first time” threshold, while another adds more context about the reform timeline and police complaints about shifting prosecutorial practices.
