Supreme Prosecutors' Office

What Supreme Prosecutors' Office does

The Supreme Prosecutors' Office (대검찰청) is the highest prosecutorial authority of the Republic of Korea, established in 1948 and operating under the Ministry of Justice. It exercises constitutional authority to investigate and prosecute criminal cases nationwide, serving South Korean citizens, law enforcement agencies operating under prosecutorial supervision, and — to a lesser extent — business entities subject to criminal investigation. The institution oversees a hierarchical network comprising 6 High Prosecutor's Offices, 22 District Prosecutor's Offices, and approximately 40 branch offices covering all 15 metropolitan areas and provinces of South Korea, with its headquarters in Seocho-gu, Seoul.

Core public-facing services are delivered through the Criminal Justice Portal (KICS, www.kics.go.kr), the 1301 nationwide call center, online civil complaint systems, and physical prosecution offices, providing case filing, complaint registration, case progress tracking, certificate issuance, fine payment lookup, court document retrieval, and record inspection. Underlying these services is specialized forensic infrastructure including the National Digital Forensic Center (NDFC, opened October 2008 and renamed November 2012), a National DNA Database System operational since 2010, cyber forensics capabilities covering mobile, cloud, cryptocurrency, blockchain, and dark web investigations, voice analysis and speaker identification, document authentication, video forensics, and chemical/drug analysis equipment. KOLAS accreditation has been obtained for forensic drug testing and DNA analysis (May 2007) and document analysis (February 2009), and the Science Investigation Division was formalized in February 2015 alongside the Cybercrime Investigation Unit.

The SPO is funded exclusively through annual government budget allocations from the National Assembly and does not generate commercial revenue. All core prosecutorial and public legal services are provided free of charge to citizens, with only regulated document reproduction and media fees charged. The organization maintains international standing through FATF membership (October 2009), participation in the International Association of Prosecutors, ARIN-AP secretariat operations, bilateral MOUs with 52 law enforcement agencies across 35 countries, and a partnership with the National Child Rights Guarantee Agency (signed July 2026). Its knowledge output includes the Trends in Forensic Science academic journal (launched March 2020), an annual Prosecution Yearbook, and quarterly Crime Trend Reports.

Name

Supreme Prosecutors' Office

Legal name

Supreme Prosecutors' Office Republic of Korea

Website

https://spo.go.kr

Company type

Public

Founded year

1948

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

10,001+ employees

Short description

The Supreme Prosecutors' Office is South Korea's highest prosecutorial authority, providing criminal investigation, prosecution, and public legal services to citizens through a nationwide network of prosecutor's offices, the KICS digital portal, and the 1301 call center.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Prosecution Services

NAICS

Legal Counsel and Prosecution (92213)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAIAFAB

Prosecution & District/State Attorney Services

Business & Public Services/Public Sector & Government Administration/Justice System (Courts, Prosecution & Corrections)

SECONDARYBPAIAGAI

Criminal Investigations & Forensics (Detectives, Crime Labs, CSI)

Business & Public Services/Public Sector & Government Administration/Law Enforcement & Public Safety (Police, Fire, EMS)

SECONDARYBPAKAHAC

Digital Forensics & Evidence Collection (Endpoint, Mobile, Cloud)

Business & Public Services/Security & Investigations Services/Cybersecurity & Digital Forensics Services

Keywords

• Criminal prosecution services
• Forensic science investigations
• Criminal asset recovery
• Cyber crime investigation
• Victim support services

Headquarters

HQ city

Seocho

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices16 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Government Budget Allocation: As South Korea's highest prosecutorial authority, the SPO is funded through annual government budgets allocated by the National Assembly. The organization does not generate commercial revenue but operates as a public service institution providing free legal and investigative services to citizens.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Supreme Prosecutors' Office is South Korea's highest prosecutorial authority, providing criminal investigation, prosecution, forensic science, criminal asset recovery, and public legal services. It operates a nationwide network of prosecution offices handling case filing, complaint registration, record inspection, and public legal assistance for citizens. The organization also conducts scientific investigations through its National Digital Forensic Center, DNA database systems, and specialized anti-corruption, cyber crime, and narcotics enforcement divisions.

Product overview

The Supreme Prosecutors' Office operates as Korea's highest prosecutorial authority providing citizen-facing digital services for civil complaints, case tracking, and certificate issuance through integrated online platforms. The organization offers crime analysis and statistical reporting, forensic science services (including DNA analysis, digital forensics, and document examination), crime victim support programs, and youth guidance services. Core digital services are delivered through the Criminal Justice Portal (KICS), with additional functionality for crime analysis, case management, and victim support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Online Civil Complaints (온라인민원)
• Case Tracking Service (나의사건조회)
• Certificate Issuance (증명서발급)
• Forensic Science Services (과학수사)
• Criminal Justice Portal KICS (형사사법포털 KICS)
• Crime Victim Support (범죄피해자지원)
• Youth Guidance and Protection (소년선도보호)
• Crime Analysis and Statistics (범죄분석)
• Criminal Asset Recovery (범죄수익환수)

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.

• National Child Rights Guarantee Agency (국가아동권리보장원)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 July 2026Partnership for strengthening legal support for children under protection, signed in July 2026 to enhance legal assistance for children in protective custody.
• ARIN-AP (Asset Recovery Interagency Network - Asia Pacific)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2017The SPO serves as the secretariat for ARIN-AP, an international cooperation network for crime proceeds recovery among Asia-Pacific law enforcement agencies. As of November 2017, the network has 20 members and 8 observers.
• IAP (International Association of Prosecutors)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational association with approximately 177 member countries dedicated to strengthening international cooperation among prosecutorial services worldwide. The SPO participates as a member country.
• KPA (Korean Prosecutors Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational network of Korean prosecutors serving abroad, facilitating cooperation and exchange among Korean prosecutors globally. The SPO conducts regular seminars and exchanges through this association.
• 35 Countries - 52 Law Enforcement Agencies (MOU Partners)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBilateral MOU partnerships with law enforcement agencies in 35 countries for cooperation in criminal investigation, trial assistance, and sentence enforcement. Partnerships include high-level meetings, working-level conferences, and seminars.
• FATF (Financial Action Task Force)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoined as a full member in October 2009. The SPO participates in international efforts against money laundering,terrorist financing, and other financial crimes through FATF.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves16 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Singapore Attorney-General's Chambers: Singapore's principal prosecuting authority in the Asia-Pacific region, comparable as a fellow Asian prosecution service with strong international cooperation ties through networks like ARIN-AP, FATF, and IAP.

Others

• INTERPOL: Global police cooperation organization; relevant as an international counterpart enabling cross-border investigation and notice systems, though focused on police coordination rather than prosecution specifically.
• Eurojust: EU agency for judicial cooperation in criminal matters; comparable as an enabling/coordination body for cross-border prosecution, though structurally distinct as an EU agency rather than a national prosecution service.

Broad incumbents

• US Department of Justice: The US federal executive department responsible for law enforcement and prosecution, providing a broader-incumbent comparison as a much larger federal counterpart with overlapping prosecutorial, forensic, and international cooperation functions through agencies like the FBI and DEA.

Direct peers

• Australia Director of Public Prosecutions (CDPP): Australia's Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions, a direct peer as a national-level prosecution service handling serious federal crime, with similar case management functions and international cooperation roles through regional and global prosecution networks.
• China Supreme People's Procuratorate: China's highest state procuratorial organ with parallel hierarchical structure, comparable nationwide mandate for criminal prosecution, anti-corruption enforcement, and forensic/scientific investigation support functions.
• UK Crown Prosecution Service: England and Wales' principal prosecuting authority, structurally similar as a national prosecution service with regional offices, comparable case management and forensic capabilities, and a comparable public-service mandate for criminal prosecution.
• France Ministère de la Justice / Parquet National Financier: France's national prosecution authority including the specialized Parquet National Financier for financial crimes; structurally similar as a national prosecution service with centralized mandate and specialized units for complex financial and corruption cases.
• Germany Generalbundesanwalt (Federal Prosecutor General): Germany's federal prosecutor general office handling terrorism, national security, and international crimes; comparable in being a constitutionally mandated national prosecution authority with structured federal-state coordination and specialized investigative mandates.
• Japan Supreme Prosecutors Office: Japan's highest prosecutorial authority under the Ministry of Justice, providing the most direct structural and functional comparison as a fellow East Asian prosecution service with hierarchical nationwide jurisdiction, prosecutorial reform dynamics, and similar constitutional mandate.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/spbstv
• Facebookfacebook.com/ProsecutionService
• Instagraminstagram.com/pro_to_u
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/digital-forensics-team-leader-in-korea-supreme-prosecutors-office

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Supreme Prosecutors' Office