With SCIA Launch Imminent, Prosecution Moves to Clear Out Cabinet Cases and Resolve Unsolved Investigations

Transfer of Reference Suspension and Prosecution Suspension Cases Needed
Prioritizing Cases Nearing Statute of Limitations
Selective Dismissal or Reinvestigation
Nearly 10,000 Unresolved Cases at Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office

The prosecution is accelerating efforts to resolve the so-called "cabinet cases," which have remained inconclusive for an extended period. In particular, there is talk that cases involving suspension of investigation due to untraceable witnesses or suspects, and those pending further investigation, may be transferred to the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency (SCIA) in the future. This has prompted moves to conclude these cases before the transfer takes place.

According to the legal community on April 3, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office has begun a comprehensive review, focusing on cases nearing the statute of limitations and those that have been pending for a long time. The office is re-examining cases involving suspension due to untraceable witnesses or suspects—concentrated in the anti-corruption division (formerly known as the special investigation division)—to determine whether to close them without indictment or to reopen the investigation. Suspension of investigation due to untraceable witnesses refers to cases where the investigation is halted because a key witness cannot be located, while suspension due to untraceable suspects means indictment is postponed because the suspect’s whereabouts are unknown. Although these cases are technically not closed, they are often left pending for prolonged periods in practice.

These "cabinet cases" are reportedly concentrated in the anti-corruption division. From around the time of former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s appointments as chief of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office in 2017 and Prosecutor General in 2019, investigative resources became focused on specific political cases, resulting in a significant number of tip-off and complaint cases being registered but left unresolved for years. A former head of the anti-corruption division stated, "It is customary in the special investigation division to prioritize and swiftly process cases nearing the statute of limitations or simple cases, which has led to a chronic backlog of unresolved cases."

With the launch of the SCIA expected in October, pressure to transfer cases is mounting. Within the prosecution, there is a growing consensus that it is necessary to settle pending cases rather than simply hand them over as-is. The general view is that, especially for stalled investigations, transferring them as they are could result in a loss of control over the cases. The leadership has also publicly called for resolving the backlog of unresolved cases. Since taking office, Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office Chief Park Cheolwoo has identified clearing the case backlog as a key task and reportedly instructed each department to accelerate case resolution.

However, concerns have been raised regarding potential negative consequences of rushing the process. If the number of non-indictments increases without sufficient supplementary investigation, there is a risk of inadequate fact-finding; conversely, excessive indictments may create additional burdens during trials. Across all prosecutors' offices nationwide, unresolved cases increased from 64,546 in 2024 to 121,563 last month. At the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office, the number grew from 6,857 to 9,928 over the same period.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.