"Revenge-for-Hire for Money"...Prosecution Indicts All 27 Private Revenge Agents

Supreme Prosecutors' Office Orders Strict Response to Local Offices

"Principle of Detention, Pursuit of Ringleaders, and Confiscation of Criminal Proceeds"

Active Appeals Planned for Suspended Sentences or Fines

The prosecution has begun taking strict action against so-called "private revenge-for-hire" crimes, in which individuals are paid to carry out personal acts of retaliation on behalf of others. According to the prosecution, all 27 individuals involved in such cases this year have been indicted, with 19 of them being detained during the investigation phase.

On July 1, the flag in front of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office in Seocho-gu, Seoul, fluttered in the wind as Prosecutor General Shim Woo-jung expressed his intention to resign after just nine months in office. The Special Investigation Team on the Rebellion plans to investigate Prosecutor General Shim Woo-jung for abuse of authority and other charges after he gave up on filing an immediate appeal following the cancellation of former President Yoon Seok-yeol's detention. 2025.07.01 Photo by Yoon Dong-joo

The Supreme Prosecutors' Office announced on the 5th that, considering the seriousness of the recent surge in private revenge-for-hire crimes, it instructed local prosecutors' offices on the 4th to respond strictly to those involved. The prosecution explained that private revenge-for-hire instills the mistaken perception that anyone can commission a crime simply by paying, and it creates repeated criminal supply chains, resulting in widespread victimization.

According to the prosecution, since the beginning of this year, all 27 individuals implicated in private revenge-for-hire crimes—including those who committed such acts on a one-off basis—have been formally indicted. Of these, 19, accounting for 70.4%, were detained during the investigation phase.

Among the six individuals who have received first-instance verdicts so far, five were sentenced to imprisonment. Three received prison terms to be served, while two were given suspended sentences. The remaining individual was fined.

The Supreme Prosecutors' Office has directed local offices to closely cooperate with the police from the early stages of cases, to detain and investigate perpetrators of private revenge-for-hire, and to actively pursue accomplices and those higher up in the criminal chain. In particular, even minor participants or first-time offenders are to be indicted for trial without exception, rather than receiving summary orders or indictments. The aim is to ensure that sentences appropriate to the severity of the crimes are handed down in court, rather than settling for lighter penalties.

The prosecution also intends to maintain its strict stance during the trial phase. Prosecutors will actively present sentencing opinions, and if punishments such as suspended sentences or fines—which fall short of their recommendations—are handed down, they plan to actively appeal such rulings.

Efforts to recover criminal proceeds will also be strengthened. The prosecution announced that it will thoroughly confiscate and collect any profits gained from private revenge-for-hire crimes to eliminate incentives for such offenses.

The prosecution stated, "Private revenge-for-hire crimes are offenses that heighten public anxiety," and added, "We will continue to respond strictly and will also strengthen protection and support for victims, including providing psychological counseling."

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