Key facts
- Prosecutors rejected 34.1% of 26,961 arrest warrant requests from police between January and August.
- The rejection rate for arrest warrants has risen from 22.8% in 2021 to 26.8% in 2025.
- Prosecutors' rejection rate for search and seizure warrants was 19.1% in the same period, up from 10.7-13.7% between 2021 and 2025.
- South Korea launched new agencies on October 2, 2026, separating investigative and indictment powers after abolishing the prosecution office.
SEOUL, Oct. 4 (Yonhap) -- The proportion of arrest warrant requests filed by police that were rejected by prosecutors surpassed 30 percent for the first time this year, according to data released Sunday by the Public Prosecution Service (PPS).
Between January and August, police filed a total of 26,961 requests for arrest warrants. Of these, prosecutors rejected 9,186, or 34.1 percent. This marks the first time the rejection rate has exceeded 30 percent.
The rejection rate has been on an upward trend, rising from 22.8 percent in 2021 to 26.8 percent in 2025. Police investigators have expressed frustration, suggesting prosecutors have become more hesitant to approve their requests amid a significant overhaul of the prosecution system, which has seen prosecutors stripped of their investigative powers.
Last Friday, South Korea implemented a major reform, abolishing the prosecution office after 78 years and establishing two new agencies to separate investigative and indictment functions. This move addresses long-standing criticisms of the prosecution's extensive authority.
The data also indicated a sharp increase in the rejection rate for police requests for search and seizure warrants, which stood at 19.1 percent during the January-August period, compared to the 10.7-13.7 percent range observed between 2021 and 2025.