Siena:Police are facing challenges in monitoring individuals with electronic ankle monitors due to a shortage of officers, even as violations of monitoring rules continue to rise, with nearly 600 recorded this year.

According to Yonhap News Agency, data provided by the Ministry of Justice to Rep. Kim Han-kyu of the ruling Democratic Party revealed that from January to July, there were 599 violations, primarily involving breaches of curfew or stay-at-home orders.

As of July, 5,273 individuals were monitored via GPS-tracked electronic anklets, marking a 9.24 percent increase from the end of 2025. This number is expected to exceed 5,500 by the end of the year.

Despite the growing number of monitored individuals, only 234 field officers were assigned to this task as of August. Each officer was responsible for an average of 20.4 anklet wearers, up from 17.1 in 2022.

In an effort to enhance monitoring, the ministry established special crime prevention units in 2013, pairing probation officers with martial arts experts to track movements and apprehend violators. However, the number of martial arts officers stood at 167 in August, slightly below the official quota of 170.

Additionally, field officers are increasingly facing physical threats, with reports of seven probation officers and five martial arts experts being assaulted by anklet wearers in the first eight months of this year.