South Korea is set to launch a landmark new investigative body — the tentatively named Serious Crimes Investigation Agency (SCIA) — in October, staffed with 2,874 personnel and empowered to probe seven categories of major offences. The move is part of a sweeping judicial reform that strips prosecutors of both their independent and supplementary investigative powers, the country's interior ministry announced on Tuesday, 18 August.

Cabinet Approval and Organisational Structure

Implementing decrees detailing the SCIA's operational standards and organisational framework were approved at a Cabinet meeting earlier in the day. The agency will be staffed by 2,567 investigators and 307 general-service employees, with six regional offices spread across the country, each equipped with specialised investigative units tailored to regional crime patterns.

Seven Crime Categories Under SCIA's Mandate

The SCIA will have jurisdiction over seven distinct categories of major crimes: corruption, economic crimes, defence acquisition, drug offences, crimes against state security (including insurrection and foreign aggression), cybercrimes, and offences involving the distortion of the law. The breadth of this mandate signals an intent to centralise high-stakes investigations that were previously fragmented across prosecutorial offices.

Regional Offices and Specialised Divisions

Each regional office will carry a distinct investigative focus. The Seoul regional office will house a joint investigation division handling voice phishing, financial crimes, and virtual asset crimes. The Suwon office will maintain dedicated divisions for defence industry and industrial technology crimes, as well as drug offences. The Daejeon and Busan offices will focus on state financial crimes and international economic crimes, respectively.

Oversight, Transfers, and External Review

To ensure accountability, an investigation review procedure will allow external experts to assess the legality and appropriateness of SCIA investigations. Other investigative agencies will be required to notify the SCIA upon becoming aware of a major crime falling within its mandate. A candidate recommendation committee for the SCIA chief will put forward three or more candidates following a qualification review, with individuals, institutions, and organisations permitted to participate in the process. Notably, prosecutors and prosecution investigators will be allowed to transfer to the SCIA without sitting an examination, according to the interior ministry.

What Comes Next

With Cabinet approval secured, the SCIA is on track for its October launch. The reform marks one of the most significant restructurings of South Korea's prosecutorial system in recent memory, and its implementation will be closely watched by legal experts and civil society groups monitoring the balance of investigative power in the country.