Key facts
- A new Serious Crimes Investigation Agency (SCIA) will launch in October.
- The agency will have 2,874 personnel, including 2,567 investigators.
- The SCIA will investigate seven categories of major crimes, including corruption, economic crimes, defense acquisition, drug offenses, crimes against state security, cybercrimes, and offenses involving distortion of the law.
- The agency will feature six regional offices across the country.
- Prosecutors and prosecution investigators can transfer to the SCIA without an examination.
SEOUL, Aug. 18 (Yonhap) -- A new agency dedicated to investigating major crimes, tentatively named the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency (SCIA), is set to launch in October with a total of 2,874 personnel, including 2,567 investigators and 307 general-service employees. This initiative is part of a significant reform that will remove prosecutors' independent and supplementary investigative powers.
The agency's operational standards and organizational structure were approved at a Cabinet meeting. The SCIA will handle seven categories of major crimes: corruption, economic crimes, defense acquisition, drug offenses, crimes against state security (such as insurrection and foreign aggression), cybercrimes, and offenses involving the distortion of the law.
Nationwide, the SCIA will operate with six regional offices, each equipped with specialized investigative units. For example, the Seoul regional office will focus on voice phishing, financial crimes, and virtual asset crimes, while the Suwon office will handle defense industry and technology crimes, along with drug offenses. The Daejeon and Busan offices will concentrate on state financial crimes and international economic crimes, respectively.
Supplementary investigations requested by prosecutors will be managed by special investigation divisions or teams at the SCIA headquarters and regional offices, focusing on crimes against socially vulnerable groups. Other investigative bodies will be required to inform the SCIA of any major crimes they become aware of. An investigation review procedure will be in place, allowing external experts to evaluate the legality and appropriateness of the SCIA's investigations. The process for recommending the SCIA chief will involve a committee recommending at least three candidates, with public participation encouraged. The ministry also noted that prosecutors and prosecution investigators can transfer to the SCIA without needing to pass an examination.