The number of probation officers managing electronic ankle bracelet wearers at the Ministry of Justice has declined even as stalking crimes continue to rise. Experts say preventing repeat offenses requires both expanded staffing and proactive measures to separate offenders from victims.
Data submitted to Rep. Joo Jin-woo of the People Power Party by the Ministry of Justice shows ankle bracelet wearers reached a record 4,827 last year. The figure represents a 12% increase from 4,316 in 2021. However, staff managing electronically monitored individuals fell from 242 to 223 over the same period. Each probation officer oversaw 21.6 individuals last year, the highest caseload in five years.
Concerns about "supervision gaps" are mounting as monitoring staff fail to keep pace with rising crime risks. Over the past five years, 252 repeat offenses occurred while offenders wore ankle bracelets. During the same period, 47 cases of ankle bracelet tampering were recorded. In a murder case in Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province on the 14th, no practical measures such as location tracking were taken until the suspect approached the victim, despite wearing an ankle bracelet. The suspect cut off the device immediately after the crime and fled. The victim was found in cardiac arrest and later died.
Following this incident, the Ministry of Justice announced it would review legal amendments to allow electronic tracking device attachment when restraining orders are issued. However, system effectiveness will inevitably suffer without additional management personnel. Lee Woong-hyuk, a professor of police studies at Konkuk University, said, "Korean probation officers manage more than five times as many individuals as their counterparts in other countries. Adequate staffing is essential since rapid response to emergencies is critical."
Some call for strengthened coordination between the Ministry of Justice and police. Lee Yoon-ho, a professor of police administration at Dongguk University, said, "The suspect's stalking risk was not adequately communicated to the Ministry of Justice even when the restraining order was issued. A real-time information sharing system for high-risk offenders must be established."
Experts particularly emphasize shifting the response system toward blocking offender access rather than relying solely on devices. Professor Lee Yoon-ho noted, "Devices are reactive by nature. Provisional Measure No. 4, which allows detention of offenders, should be utilized more actively."
President Lee Jae-myung responded to criticism that the Namyangju stalking murder resulted from inadequate government response and insufficient preventive measures. "The response from relevant authorities was slow and fell far short of public expectations," he said. "Inspect those responsible for this situation and take stern action." The National Police Agency announced, "We have immediately launched an inspection into the police's inadequate response and will take strict measures based on the results."
Rep. Joo stated, "The decline in probation officers despite increasing ankle bracelet wearers is a clear failure of public safety policy. A precious life was lost due to poor management of high-risk offenders, even though real-time location tracking was possible."
