Arrest warrant rejections exceed 30% as prosecutors curb police requests
Data show that more than 30% of police arrest-warrant applications were rejected by prosecutors between January and August, the highest rate this year.
According to figures released by the Public Prosecution Service, police submitted 26,961 requests for arrest warrants between January and August, but prosecutors denied 9,186 of them, a 34.1% rejection rate that surpasses the 30% threshold for the first time this year. This upward trajectory follows a rise from 22.8% in 2021 to 26.8% in 2025. The same data reveal that prosecutors turned down 19.1% of police applications for search and seizure warrants, a sharp increase from the 10.7-13.7% recorded in the 2021-2025 period.
Police investigators have complained that prosecutors are now reluctant to approve warrants after a sweeping overhaul that removed their investigative authority. The reform reached a milestone last Friday when South Korea abolished the longstanding prosecution office and established two new bodies to separate investigative and indictment functions, ending a 78-year structure that had drawn criticism for excessive power. The growing denial rates highlight mounting friction between law-enforcement agencies in the wake of these changes.
Why it matters
Rising warrant rejections signal strained police-prosecutor relations after reforms that could affect crime-fighting effectiveness.
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