Daily Life Resumes but Wanted Fugitives Remain Uncaught

28% Decrease Compared to Last Year Until August
Restrictions on Visits, Inquiries, and Face-to-Face On-Site Investigations

[Asia Economy Reporter Jang Sehee] Despite the resumption of daily life after COVID-19, the arrest of wanted fugitives has not shown significant results. This is analyzed to be due to restrictions on on-site investigation activities such as visits, inquiries, and face-to-face interactions.

According to the National Police Agency on the 27th, from January to August this year, the number of wanted fugitives arrested was 20,790, which is a 28% decrease compared to 28,910 cases in 2021. Compared to the COVID period in 2019 (34,399 cases) and 2020 (31,793 cases), it has decreased by more than 10,000 cases.

The occurrence of wanted fugitives was 33,372 cases in 2021 and recorded 25,625 cases from January to August this year. Although the occurrence itself has decreased, the arrest rate remains in the 80% range, failing to recover to pre-COVID levels. In 2013 and 2015, the number of cases reached 90,000 each year.

The police explained that the decrease in arrests was due to COVID-19 mask-wearing and restrictions on on-site investigation activities. A National Police Agency official stated, "During the peak of COVID, face-to-face contact itself was not possible," and added, "Communication location tracking is limited to a radius of 1.5 km to 2 km, so immediate arrest is not possible." Another police officer also said, "Even though the outdoor mask mandate has been lifted, most people still wear masks," and "Since only parts of the face are visible, it has been difficult to identify individuals, which also affected arrests."

The police classify wanted fugitives into grades A, B, and C. Grade A refers to cases where arrest or detention warrants have been issued. Grade B refers to the execution stage of sentences, meaning fines have been confirmed but remain unpaid. Grade C refers to cases where warrants have not been issued but the individual has failed to appear before investigative agencies.

The problem is that wanted fugitives are often caught after committing 'additional crimes.' For example, on the 12th of this month, a man who rammed a police car multiple times with a vehicle and fled was previously wanted for special property damage. Also, a man in his 50s who ate about 50,000 won worth of alcohol and food at a pub in Hakdong, Dong-gu, Gwangju, in July without paying was confirmed to have been wanted for fraud and embezzlement charges.

The police have expressed their intention to actively pursue the arrest of wanted fugitives as daily life resumes. A police official said, "Recently, there have been cases where suspects committed crimes in Seoul and fled to places like Incheon. Even when tracking, it is difficult to arrest if the mobile phone is turned off," but added, "We will thoroughly investigate and catch wanted fugitives to the end."

Professor Lee Woong-hyuk of the Department of Police Science at Konkuk University analyzed, "In the 1990s, there were consistent efforts such as checkpoints and searches to arrest wanted fugitives," but "Recently, the number of cases has increased exponentially, making it difficult to allocate enormous manpower to resolve missing person cases."