{
  "id": 1659659,
  "title": "Serious Crimes Investigation Agency to launch in October with 2,874 personnel",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/18/serious-crimes-investigation-agency-to-launch-in-october-with-2-874-1659659",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-18T07:17:03.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Korea Times",
    "slug": "the-korea-times-koreatimes",
    "url": "https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/southkorea/law-crime/20260818/serious-crimes-investigation-agency-to-launch-in-october-with-2874-personnel"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A new agency, the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency (SCIA), will commence operations in October, as part of extensive reforms that diminish prosecutors' investigative autonomy, according to a statement from the interior ministry on Tuesday. The SCIA's organizational blueprint and operational protocols were sanctioned during a Cabinet assembly earlier that same day. The decree specifies the agency's purview to probe seven categories of significant crimes, encompassing corruption, economic offenses, defense procurement malfeasance, drug-related infractions, state security infractions, cybercrimes, and illicit activities aimed at distorting legal frameworks. The SCIA will comprise a workforce of 2,874 individuals, inclusive of 2,567 investigators and 307 general-service employees. The agency will operate via six regional outposts across the nation, each housing specialized investigative divisions attuned to the unique attributes of their respective regions. For instance, the Seoul regional bureau will feature a joint investigation division tasked with handling complex cases.",
  "summary": "A new agency dedicated to investigating major crimes will have 2,874 personnel when it launches in October as part of a sweeping reform that strips prosecutors of their independent and supplementary investigative powers, the interior ministry said Tuesday. The ministry said implementing decrees detailing the operational standards and organizational structure of the tentatively named Serious…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Yonhap News",
        "title": "Serious Crimes Investigation Agency to launch in Oct. with 2,874 personnel",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/18/serious-crimes-investigation-agency-to-launch-in-oct-with-2-874",
        "published": "2026-08-18T06:31:17.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Korea Times",
        "title": "Serious Crimes Investigation Agency to launch in October with 2,874 personnel",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/18/serious-crimes-investigation-agency-to-launch-in-october-with-2-874",
        "published": "2026-08-18T07:07:03.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}