Over 3,500 exposed in special crackdown on real estate crimes: police
Police have found 3,565 people suspected of committing real estate-related crimes, with over 2,100 of them referred to the prosecution and 16 formally arrested, police officials said Tuesday. Following its yearlong special crackdown on such crimes that began October 2025, the police referred 2,151 to prosecutors on various charges, including fixing or inflating home prices, and applying for and…
Police have identified 3,565 individuals suspected of engaging in real estate-related crimes, with 2,100 of them referred to prosecutors and 16 formally arrested, officials disclosed on Tuesday. The special crackdown on such crimes, which commenced in October 2025, has led to the referral of 2,151 suspects to prosecutors for various charges, such as manipulating home prices and obtaining new apartment purchases through fraudulent means, according to the officials.
The crackdown has been extended by an additional year, concluding by October 2027, as part of ongoing government efforts to control soaring housing prices. Farmland speculation constituted the predominant category at 25.2 percent, involving 898 people, followed by 795 individuals accused of employing fraudulent methods during apartment applications and 726 accused of illegal brokering activities, including inflating home prices.
Police have frozen 14.79 billion won ($11.02 million) in illicit earnings before formal indictments and notified pertinent authorities about 616 people to warrant punitive administrative actions.
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