Over 30 pct of arrest warrant requests rejected by prosecutors this year: data

In a significant shift this year, more than a third of arrest warrant requests filed by South Korean police were rejected by prosecutors, data revealed on October 4. The Public Prosecution Service reported that police submitted a total of 26,961 arrest warrant requests from January to August 2025, of which 9,186, or 34.1%, were rejected by prosecutors.

This marked the first instance the rejection rate surpassed the 30% threshold. Prior to this, the rejection rate had been gradually increasing, reaching 22.8% in 2021 and 26.8% in 2025. Police investigators have expressed frustration, citing the prosecution's reluctance to pursue warrants requested by them as a result of a major overhaul that removed their investigative powers.

South Korea recently abolished the prosecution office for the first time in 78 years, splitting investigative and indictment functions into two separate agencies following long-standing criticisms of the prosecution's excessive authority. During the same period, prosecutors' rejection rate for police requests related to search and seizure warrants stood at 19.1%, significantly higher than the 10.7%-13.7% range observed between 2021 and 2025.