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Misconduct investigations in South Korea, meant to be concluded within six months, are taking far longer, according to data from the National Research Foundation of Korea in Daejeon. Of the 83 cases investigated since 2021, 49 failed to reach a decision within the deadline, with 22 cases open for over a year and some not progressing past the preliminary stages.

The agency struggled to confirm basic information for many cases, with more than half lacking details on when the preliminary inquiry began or ended. The politician who obtained these figures, Kim Sunmin, argues the six-month deadline has become meaningless and is calling for improved oversight. She claims that rigorously investigating misconduct and taking years to reach a conclusion are distinct issues.

Only 30 cases were resolved within six months, according to Kim, making the six-month rule "meaningless." The longest completed investigation took 911 days, or about 2.5 years, with investigators ultimately finding no misconduct in a project to develop an app for managing breast cancer symptoms with traditional Korean medicine. Another ongoing case, alleging improper authorship and obstruction of a misconduct investigation, has been pending for 854 days.

Improper authorship, a persistent issue in South Korea, has been a major concern, with high-profile retractions in the past. Kim has called for the investigation period to be shortened and for the foundation to check delayed cases and reason for the delays.