▲ An electronic anklet
The Ministry of Justice has refuted claims that crimes committed during probation have surged following adjustments to the high-risk grading criteria for electronic monitoring subjects, stating that the facts differ from media reports.
In a press release issued today (Oct. 27), the ministry stated, "The increase in crimes involving violations of the Electronic Device Attachment Act is the result of investigating and taking action against subjects who breached compliance rules, rather than a lapse in management, but rather the outcome of strict intervention."
Previously, a media outlet reported yesterday that after the Ministry of Justice lowered the proportion of high-risk electronic monitoring subjects from 30% to 15% in 2022 due to a shortage of management personnel, cases of individuals committing crimes while wearing electronic devices have been on the rise.
The report implied that lax supervision and monitoring were the causes. In response, the ministry emphasized that this is the result of dedicated investigation teams within probation offices actively cracking down on compliance violations and referring them without exception.
According to the Ministry of Justice, the dedicated investigation team is an organization established within probation offices in October 2021 to respond to compliance violations by electronic monitoring subjects, consisting of special judicial police officers for electronic monitoring.
Previously, cases involving violations of compliance rules—such as restrictions on drinking or entering specific areas—were referred to the police for investigation, which had limitations, averaging only 11 referrals per month and taking an average of 34 days for referral.
However, the ministry explained that since the establishment of the investigation team, the number of referrals has increased more than sixfold, and the referral period has been shortened to an average of 18 days.
The ministry stated that following the operation of the dedicated investigation team, the recidivism rate for the same type of sexual crime among electronic monitoring subjects dropped from 1.4% in 2021 to 0.72% in 2025, and electronic device damage cases decreased from 19 to 5 over the same period.
An official from the Ministry of Justice stated, "Moving forward, we will do our utmost to protect public safety through prompt and strict guidance and supervision of electronic monitoring subjects, while also expanding electronic monitoring personnel."
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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