The police are investigating a consulting firm believed to be in control of over 200 multiplex and studio apartment units in western Seoul at the center of a lump-sum "jeonse" rental scandal.

National Police Agency Commissioner Yoon Hee-keun pledged to sternly investigate the fraud case during a meeting with reporters on Monday. He also said more cases similar to this one are expected to emerge.

The police last week filed for an arrest warrant against a key figure at the consulting firm, after which the prosecution sought the court-issued warrant.

The owner of 240 housing units in Seoul's Gangseo and Yangcheon Districts, identified by his surname Jeong, was found dead on Jeju Island in 2021, causing a massive setback in the recovery of deposits by tenants who had not subscribed to the deposit-return guarantee insurance.

The police have also booked five people in a separate case involving another landlord dubbed “villa king” with one-thousand-139 units of multiplex housing and studio apartments who was found dead without returning rental deposits to his tenants.