Serious Crimes Investigation Agency to launch in Oct. with 2,874 personnel

The Serious Crimes Investigation Agency (SCIA) will commence operations in October, tasked with investigating a range of major crimes, according to the interior ministry. The agency will comprise 2,874 personnel, including 2,567 investigators and 307 general-service employees. The SCIA will focus on seven categories of major crimes, namely corruption, economic crimes, defense acquisition, drug offenses, crimes against state security, cybercrimes, and offenses involving the distortion of the law.

The agency will have six regional offices across the country, each equipped with specialized investigative units based on the unique characteristics of the region. These divisions will include voice phishing, financial crimes, virtual asset crimes in Seoul; defense industry and industry technology crimes, and drug offenses in Suwon; state financial crimes and international economic crimes in Daejeon; and international economic crimes in Busan.

The SCIA will also establish special investigation divisions or teams to handle crimes against socially vulnerable groups at its headquarters and regional offices. Other investigative agencies must notify the SCIA about any major crimes they come across, and an investigation review procedure will enable external experts to evaluate the legality and appropriateness of the SCIA's investigations.

The appointment process for the SCIA chief will involve a committee recommending three or more candidates, while the public will be allowed to participate in the recommendation process. Prosecutors and prosecution investigators can seamlessly transfer to the SCIA without taking an exam, as per the ministry's announcement.