More than 100 complaints and accusations involving the law distortion offense have been filed with police nationwide in roughly one month since the law took effect. Amid growing concerns over indiscriminate and groundless complaints, police announced plans to strengthen their case management system, including swiftly dismissing unfounded cases.
Park Seong-ju, Commissioner General of the National Office of Investigation, said at a regular press briefing held at the National Police Agency in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, on the morning of May 13 that "as of April 9, a total of 104 law distortion offense cases have been filed, with 92 cases involving 262 individuals currently under investigation." The investigation targets include 75 judges, 52 prosecutors, and 149 police officers.
Of these, 12 cases have already been concluded through non-referral or transferred to other agencies. "Two cases were withdrawn by complainants, five involved matters finalized before the law took effect, one complaint was filed against a non-qualifying individual not subject to investigation, and two concerned civil litigation matters—all concluded with non-referral. Two cases were transferred to the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials and the prosecution," Park explained.
As the number of filed cases has increased since the law distortion offense took effect on March 12, concerns over indiscriminate complaints and accusations have grown, prompting police to announce strengthened case management. Currently, police are investigating major cases primarily through metropolitan and provincial police agencies while reporting the entire process from filing to conclusion to the National Office of Investigation for centralized management.
"Groundless or indiscriminate complaints and accusations will be swiftly dismissed in accordance with investigation regulations," Park emphasized.
Regarding the recent controversy over the prosecution's requests for supplementary investigations, he said, "The National Office of Investigation is directly verifying the facts in some cases with investigation deficiencies," adding, "We will thoroughly manage cases to prevent similar incidents."
Park stated, "With changes in the investigative environment expected due to the launch of the National Investigation Agency and National Prosecution Service, as well as discussions on Criminal Procedure Act amendments, police are preparing accordingly." He emphasized, "We will clearly express our opinions on cooperation measures with the National Prosecution Service and key issues in Criminal Procedure Act amendments within the framework of discussions by the Prosecution Reform Task Force."
