Authorities Handed Out Homework [The Complainant Who Became a Detective] ①

Complaint Bounced Between Police and Prosecutors
Victims Forced to Gather Evidence Themselves
Proving Accomplices Through Personal Legwork
Analyzing Accounting Records and Real Estate Data
Submitting Complaints as the Case Circulates

Editor's NoteWith the bill to abolish the Prosecutors’ Office set to pass the National Assembly plenary session on September 25, citizens are fighting battles that are almost like private prosecutions at the grassroots level. The government promises “prosecution reform with no harm to the public,” but the reality experienced by victims of criminal cases is different. This series examines the confusion that has emerged in the field since the adjustment of investigative powers between the police and prosecution, and diagnoses the issues that citizens will face in the era of the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency one year from now.

The investigation log that Jongsu has collected over 936 days. The portrait photo is unrelated to this case.

"Do you have any more evidence to prove he was an accomplice?"

November last year, in an interrogation room at a police station in Seoul. The complainant representative, Lee Jongsu (age 65, alias), broke out in a cold sweat at the police officer’s question. It felt like being given a homework assignment. He recalled hearing that most fraud victims these days hire private investigators to conduct thorough evidence gathering. The police continued, "We rarely handle individual complaints." "We only conduct investigations we initiate ourselves." And so began a long struggle.

I Can't Believe I Was Duped

The case began with anxiety about retirement. He was lured by ads promising “33% guaranteed returns” and “land compensation plots acquired through public or private auctions.” Starting around 2021, he invested 200 million won of his retirement savings into Real Estate Company A. But something felt off. When the investment was supposed to mature in March 2023, the money never arrived. The company cited “temporary liquidity issues” and provided an extension agreement and a repayment note.

At first, he thought it was just a delay. But two months passed with no news. The group chat was abuzz. Rumors of a “Ponzi scheme” spread among investors. He didn’t want to believe it.

His fears became reality. On August 31, 2023, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency raided Company A’s office. After more than a year, on May 20 last year, Company A’s CEO, Park Hyungseok (alias), was arrested and indicted. Only then did he have to admit it. “I was scammed.”

For the next two years and nine months, he went back and forth between the police, prosecution, and courts. The full story, which he learned only later, was shocking. Park had five prior fraud convictions. Around the time he founded the company in 2019, he had already received a one-year prison sentence with a two-year suspension for fraud from the Incheon District Court. It was hard to believe. “A five-time fraud convict started a real estate development corporation?” “Was I really deceived?”

Becoming a Detective

From that point, Lee began acting like a detective. He had to find out what assets the company held, who managed the corporate accounting books and where they were kept, and whether there were signs of embezzlement. He joined the creditors’ council. Company assets were mortgaged under the names of executives’ close associates. The management tricked investors by claiming they needed to temporarily release collateral to secure new development projects, but used that opportunity to pile on more mortgages. It meant there was no way to recover the money.

He also joined an online community for victims of illegal private fundraising scams. Many complainants went so far as to follow, stake out, or even chase key suspects. His lawyer advised that the best approach was to secure criminal convictions for the main parties through criminal complaints, and then use those as evidence for civil lawsuits. Lee agreed.

On March 25 last year, he and other victims filed a group complaint with the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office, identifying an accomplice believed to have orchestrated the scheme alongside the indicted ringleader. The damages exceeded 500 billion won, and the government was focusing on illegal fundraising scams. He hoped for a direct investigation by a major prosecutors’ office. Lee saw the phrase “Direct Investigation of Major Financial and Economic Crimes” posted in the complaints office at the Seocho-dong Prosecutors’ Office. He wanted the powerful prosecution to take the case directly.

Ping-Pong and Deepening Sighs

But the complaint was bounced around. The case was sent back to the police. The complaint filed with the Central District Prosecutors’ Office was transferred to the Eastern District Prosecutors’ Office, and then to the Financial Crime Investigation Division of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency. In July of the same year, he submitted the complaint again to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, but this time the case was moved to the local police station. He hired a lawyer and filed another complaint, including requests for additional raids, confirmation of the crime period, and the need to investigate accomplices. But on June 16, what he received was a decision not to refer the case for prosecution. The reason: “insufficient evidence.”

The questions continued in court. The indictment against the ringleader only covered crimes from May 1, 2019, to April 28, 2023. Many victims suffered losses after May. The criminal facts were not clearly specified. He attended all 20 trial sessions, taking notes on the key issues.

The court requested an amendment to the indictment, but the prosecutor refused. After a trial session in February, he asked the prosecutor why. The answer was, “We don’t have the authority to direct investigations, and if we ask the criminal division to conduct supplementary investigations and revise the list of criminal acts, it will create more work. Expanding the scope will only prolong the trial.” He felt helpless.

In the end, he took matters into his own hands. He obtained certified copies of the registry for 80 real estate parcels across the country three times, reorganized the details of ownership and mortgages in Excel, and analyzed the list of criminal acts one by one using a magnifier. He submitted these materials to the court as a victim’s opinion statement. But his frustration deepened. The information he could access was limited, and the documents had no evidentiary power.

An Unfinished Case

Last month, the prosecution demanded a 25-year prison sentence for Park. But ahead of the first trial verdict, there were reports that some investors were being persuaded to submit statements of non-punishment in exchange for priority repayment.

September 22, 2025, marks 936 days since the damage occurred. Lee is still struggling to break free from the real estate investment scam. Yet, questions remain. Did the police and prosecution faithfully fulfill their investigative and prosecutorial duties? The adjustment of investigative powers between the police and prosecution is said to be causing delays, but what will happen if the Prosecutors’ Office is abolished altogether? Lee said,

"Unless it’s a major case that appears on the news, it feels like no one cares. At this point, I wish we could have an era where private prosecutions are possible, not just public ones."

■ The Complainant Who Became a Detective

The Investigative Authorities Gave Us Homework [The Complainant Who Became a Detective] ①

Rampant Illegal Fundraising... Why Are Victims Left to Do the Investigative Homework? [The Complainant Who Became a Detective] ②

Victims on the Chase, Stakeout, and Tail-Could They Be Countersued for Stalking? [The Complainant Who Became a Detective] ③

Serious Crimes Investigation Agency Without Prosecutors-Vulnerable to New Economic Crimes [The Complainant Who Became a Detective] ④

A Maze of Investigation, Prosecution, and Verdict... Only Legal Costs and Time Increase [The Complainant Who Became a Detective] ⑤

Splitting Agencies With Unclear Authority... What About the Skyrocketing Legal Costs? [The Complainant Who Became a Detective] ⑥