The caseload per adult and juvenile probation officer in Korea has been rising every year, while the number of supervisory personnel has remained stagnant for years. With work overload already routine, concerns are growing that the burden on some probation officers could increase further once the Prosecutors' Office is abolished and prosecutors' authority to direct investigations is eliminated. For electronic monitoring officers in particular, who must independently determine not only supervision and investigation but also the application of charges and whether to refer cases, critics warn that "blind spots" in probation supervision could emerge.
According to the Ministry of Justice on Wednesday, the caseload per adult probation officer last year stood at 83.9 cases, far exceeding the average of 32.4 cases among major Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries. The number of cases per adult probation officer surged to 93.1 in 2020 before easing to 82.5 in 2021 and 81.2 in 2022. It has since turned upward again. The same pattern applies to electronic monitoring personnel, whose caseload reached 20.7 per officer last year, the highest level since 2020. The number of individuals under electronic monitoring also reached 4,827 last year, having steadily risen since 2023 to mark the highest figure in the past five years. The burden on juvenile probation officers is also growing. Cases per juvenile probation officer reached 56.1 last year, rising for four consecutive years since 2021 and marking the highest level in the past five years.
The problem is that while probation cases are increasing, the personnel to handle them have barely grown. As of last year, there were 398 adult probation officers, a level that has remained unchanged for four years. After 34 officers were added in 2021, no additional reinforcement has been made. For juvenile probation officers, no increase had been made for six years since 2020 until 73 additional officers were added this year. In addition, 61 electronic monitoring officers were added to strengthen one-on-one electronic supervision, but the actual number of officers conducting supervision and management remains insufficient.
Under the Probation Act, adult and juvenile probation officers are responsible for probation, the execution of community service and attendance orders, rehabilitation aid, and crime prevention activities. In particular, electronic monitoring officers, designated as special judicial police officers under the Act on the Performance of Duties by Judicial Police Officers, directly investigate violations related to probation and electronic monitoring, including the unauthorized removal or damage of electronic devices, violations of access bans on specific areas or persons, and unauthorized departures from residences. They also conduct pre-application investigations under the Electronic Device Attachment Act. Under current law, when a prosecutor determines that an attachment order is necessary, the prosecutor may request an investigation of the suspect from the head of the probation office or branch office. The investigation covers the motive of the crime, the relationship with the victim, psychological state, and the risk of recidivism. Last year, there were 934 such pre-application investigations. Although down from 1,101 in 2024, around 1,000 investigations have been conducted annually in recent years.
The burden could grow further after October this year. With the abolition of the Prosecutors' Office and the disappearance of prosecutors' authority to direct investigations, electronic monitoring officers will have to independently judge not only the investigation of cases but also the application of charges and whether to refer them for prosecution. Whereas legal judgments have until now been made under prosecutors' direction, electronic monitoring officers will henceforth bear a greater share of responsibility for investigation and judgment themselves.
The Ministry of Justice says it will minimize any investigative gap. "In connection with the abolition of the authority to direct investigations, we will strengthen the capabilities of electronic monitoring special judicial police officers and reinforce cooperation systems, including information sharing with other agencies operating special judicial police, to thoroughly prepare so that no gaps arise in investigative work," the ministry said.
However, some in the legal community worry that expanding roles without resolving personnel shortages could create holes in management and supervision. They point out that work overload will be inevitable if electronic monitoring officers simultaneously handle case management, on-site supervision, investigation, criminal investigation, and legal judgment.
"With personnel already short, the responsibility of having to determine charges as well has been added," said Oh Yoon-sung, a professor of police science at Soonchunhyang University. "Various trial and error can occur in the initial stage." He added, "This is not a problem easily solved simply by increasing personnel. Probation officers literally have to 'stand alone.' They have become like a 'sole breadwinner' who must take responsibility for both investigation and judgment."
