One in three Coast Guard investigators has under 3 years of experience, data shows
In short
Of 783 South Korea Coast Guard officers working in investigative units this year, 283 — 36.1% — have less than three years of investigative experience, and 102 of them have less than one year, according to data Rep. Lim Mi-ae's office obtained from the Coast Guard. The share of investigators with under three years' experience has fallen from a 2022 peak of 65.6% to 39.8% in 2025, but 142 officers left the investigative career track in 2024–2025, over half of them at their own request. Rep. Lim said the Coast Guard needs measures to raise investigators' expertise and to control their expanded investigative powers.
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One in three South Korean Coast Guard officers working in investigative units has less than three years of investigative experience, according to data Rep. Lim Mi-ae of the Democratic Party obtained from the Coast Guard through the National Assembly's Agriculture, Food, Rural Affairs, Oceans and Fisheries Committee. The data, released on Oct. 4, show that 283 of the 783 officers in investigative posts this year — 36.1% — have under three years of experience, including 102 officers, or 13.0%, with less than one year. [ 1 , 2 ]
The under-three-year share stood at 45.2% in 2021 and peaked at 65.6% in 2022, then fell to 43.4% in 2023, 42.8% in 2024 and 39.8% in 2025, according to both outlets. Yonhap described the ratio as declining steadily from the 2022 peak. [ 1 , 2 ]
Experienced staff are also leaving investigative work. The Coast Guard has assigned an investigative career designation to selected officers since 2019, and under its personnel rules officers may apply to have it removed three years after receiving it; removal is mandatory for discipline over job-related money or gifts or serious human rights violations, and possible for other misconduct. In 2024–2025, 142 officers lost the designation: 72, or 50.7%, at their own request, 3 for major discipline including accepting money or gifts, and 9 for other misconduct. [ 1 , 2 ]
Kyunghyang Shinmun, which described its report as exclusive, also cited the Coast Guard's investigative review figures. Applications for investigative review totaled 64 from 2021 to this year, rising from 6 in 2021 and 3 in 2022 to 15 in 2025 and 14 this year. Of 52 cases actually reviewed, investigative faults were acknowledged in 8 — 2 involving replacement of the officer in charge, 3 supplementary investigations and 3 cases of training for the officer in charge — while the conclusion itself changed in 5 cases, the outlet reported. [ 1 ]
Rep. Lim said Coast Guard investigators are expected to handle ordinary criminal cases as well as maritime accidents and maritime crimes, requiring specialized knowledge and maritime-specific investigative techniques. She called for measures to raise investigators' expertise and to democratically control their expanded investigative powers, which both outlets linked to the abolition of prosecutors' supplementary investigation rights. [ 1 , 2 ]
Why it matters
The figures come as the Coast Guard's investigative responsibilities have grown following the abolition of prosecutors' supplementary investigation rights, which the documents describe as broadening its investigative authority. A staffing base in which one in three investigators has under three years of experience, alongside departures from the investigative career track, bears on how the agency handles maritime accidents and maritime crimes. The lawmaker who released the data argues that both expertise and democratic oversight of the expanded powers need to be addressed.
Key facts
- Of 783 Coast Guard officers in investigative units this year, 283 (36.1%) have less than three years of investigative experience. [ 1 , 2 ]
- 102 of those officers (13.0%) have less than one year of investigative experience. [ 1 , 2 ]
- The share of investigative staff with under three years' experience was 45.2% in 2021, 65.6% in 2022, 43.4% in 2023, 42.8% in 2024 and 39.8% in 2025. [ 1 , 2 ]
- 142 officers had their investigative career designation removed in 2024–2025; 72 (50.7%) requested removal themselves, 3 were removed for major disciplinary cases such as accepting money or gifts, and 9 for other misconduct. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Applications for investigative review filed with the Coast Guard totaled 64 from 2021 to this year, rising from 6 in 2021 and 3 in 2022 to 15 in 2025 and 14 this year. [ 1 ]
- Of 52 cases that went through investigative review, investigative faults were acknowledged in 8: 2 officer replacements, 3 supplementary investigations and 3 cases of training for the officer in charge; the conclusion itself changed in 5 cases. [ 1 ]
- Rep. Lim Mi-ae of the Democratic Party said Coast Guard investigators need high-level expertise covering ordinary crimes as well as maritime accidents and crimes, and called for effective measures to raise their expertise and democratically control their expanded investigative authority. [ 1 , 2 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- 283 of 783 Coast Guard investigative officers, or 36.1%, have less than three years of investigative experience this year. [ 1 , 2 ]
- 102 officers, or 13.0%, have less than one year of investigative experience. [ 1 , 2 ]
- The under-three-year share was 45.2% in 2021, 65.6% in 2022, 43.4% in 2023, 42.8% in 2024 and 39.8% in 2025. [ 1 , 2 ]
- 142 officers lost their investigative career designation in 2024–2025, including 72 who requested it, 3 removed over major discipline such as accepting money or gifts, and 9 over other misconduct. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Rep. Lim Mi-ae called for measures to strengthen investigators' expertise and to control their expanded investigative powers; the data came from her office via a National Assembly committee request to the Coast Guard. [ 1 , 2 ]
Still unclear
- Whether the rise in investigative review applications reflects more problems with Coast Guard investigations. Only Kyunghyang Shinmun reports the review-application figures, and neither document gives a reason for the increase.
- How many review cases ended in acknowledged investigative faults and how many conclusions were reversed. These details appear only in Kyunghyang Shinmun's report; Yonhap does not mention them, and the Coast Guard is not quoted on them.
- Whether the Coast Guard has a plan to retain or train investigative staff. The documents report the lawmaker's call for measures but give no response or plan from the Coast Guard.