The Financial Supervisory Service’s Special Judicial Police in South Korea has been granted the authority to directly initiate investigations into stock price manipulation cases without the need for prior prosecutor supervision. This new measure, announced by the Financial Services Commission, aims to enhance the efficiency of investigations into unfair trade practices in capital markets. Previously, the FSS was required to go through a prolonged process involving the Financial Supervisory Commission and the Securities and Futures Commission, which often delayed investigations for 10 to 11 weeks and increased the risk of evidence being destroyed. The reforms respond to concerns that delays make it challenging to preserve evidence crucial for investigations.