Nearly 90,000 Cases Closed With "No Right of Prosecution"... Kim Mi Ae Urges Full Disclosure of Facts

"Rising Every Year Since the 2022 Presidential Election"

It has been revealed that last year, nearly 90,000 cases were closed with a disposition of "no right of prosecution" due to reasons such as the suspect's suicide or death. There are calls for thorough investigations to uncover the truth when necessary to uphold social justice.

According to data submitted by People Power Party lawmaker Kim Mi Ae, a member of the National Assembly Health and Welfare Committee, to the Ministry of Justice on April 22, the number of cases in South Korea that were closed with a "no right of prosecution" disposition last year was 88,912.

"No right of prosecution" refers to situations where prosecution is not possible due to reasons such as the suspect's death, a statement of non-punishment intention in crimes that require the victim's objection, lack of complaint in crimes that require a formal accusation, or the expiration of the statute of limitations. In these cases, since prosecution and punishment are ultimately impossible, investigations are closed to prevent wasting investigative resources.

On the 29th, at the 4th meeting of the People Power Party's Task Force to Resolve the Pediatric and Adolescent Medical Crisis held at the National Assembly, TF Chairwoman Mi Ae Kim is speaking. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

This trend of closing investigations with "no right of prosecution" has been increasing every year since 2022, when the presidential election was held. In 2022, the number of cases closed for this reason was 60,995; in 2023, it rose to 67,959; and last year, it reached 88,912. In the first quarter of this year (January to March), 20,739 cases were closed with a "no right of prosecution" disposition.

It was found that the Ministry of Justice does not compile or manage separate statistics on the reasons for "no right of prosecution" case closures. As a result, it is impossible to determine exactly how many cases each year are closed due to death, including suicide.

Representative Kim stated, "Even if the suspect has died, investigative authorities have an obligation to thoroughly reveal the facts and inform victims and the public of the investigation results, rather than simply closing the case with a 'no right of prosecution' disposition if the facts are clear. Only by doing so can we protect the lives and safety of ordinary citizens from corrupt powers who try to silence the truth through death."