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Chon Hyeong Hwan, Managing Partner of MegaX Law Office, appeared on the 1,500th episode special of SBS’s investigative current affairs program “Unanswered Questions,” titled “A Game of Chance,” which aired on August 15, 2026.

Discussing structural problems within the police following the adjustment of investigative authority between the police and prosecution, Chon said, “There are three routes to promotion within the police. The two main routes are promotion through an examination and promotion through an internal review. The third is special promotion.”

He continued, “Officers assigned to investigative divisions simply do not have enough time to study for promotion exams. If you work as an investigator, you often have to give up on promotion through examinations. If you try to advance through the internal review process instead, those opportunities tend to go to officers working in administrative departments. And if you decide to work solely in the hope of receiving a special promotion, it is virtually impossible to achieve one while serving on a Women and Juvenile Investigation Team — unless, for example, you happen to arrest an exceptionally high-profile or unusual offender.”

Chon also highlighted the practical limitations faced by investigators due to structural issues involving promotions, compensation and mounting caseloads.

“The investigators who do not fall into any of those categories have little choice but to simply keep working hard at the jobs they already have,” he said. “But the cases continue to pile up, and whether I clear 100 cases or 200 cases, my salary remains exactly the same.”

His remarks underscored that even as an increasing number of cases are concentrated within the police, structural issues involving promotion opportunities, compensation and workload inevitably place limits on investigators’ ability to process cases effectively.

The episode is available through SBS’s “Unanswered Questions” replay and rebroadcast services.