[Anchor]
As the launch of the Serious Crime Investigation Agency (Jungsucheong) approaches this October, nationwide recruitment briefing sessions held across prosecutors' offices are nearing their end. However, with a lack of clear incentives to move to the agency, most prosecutors show little interest, while prosecution investigators remain in a wait-and-see mode.
Reporter Shin Yong-il has the details.
[Reporter]
Ahead of the launch of the Serious Crime Investigation Agency (Jungsucheong) this October, the preparation team held briefing sessions targeting prosecutors from the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office, and the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, which is the largest local prosecutors' office in the country.
However, only about 40 prosecutors attended the briefing session, accounting for a mere 10 percent of the eligible personnel.
The low interest among prosecutors is due to a lack of proper incentives.
Prosecutors with less than 10 years of legal experience, who are treated equivalent to Grade 3 officials, would be appointed as Grade 4 investigators at the Serious Crime Investigation Agency if they move. Unlike deputy prosecutors, head prosecutors, and those with 10 or more years of experience, their rank would drop, and a situation could even arise where their rank is reversed relative to police officers.
Prosecutors must decide whether to move to the Serious Crime Investigation Agency by the 20th. The fact that specific operational plans and differences from the Prosecution Service have not been finalized is also cited as a reason for reluctance to transfer.
It is reported that to some questions raised at today's (the 11th) briefing session regarding working conditions, rotational assignments, and positions, the preparation team mostly responded with "under discussion" or "undecided."
One deputy-level prosecutor told SBS, "This is a decision you have to bet your life on, but because proper information is not provided, the atmosphere is inevitably one of hesitation."
At the briefing session for investigators held at the same time, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office main auditorium, which accommodates about 500 people, was packed, showing a difference in temperature compared to the prosecutors' briefing. Yet, an atmosphere was also detected that worries only grew larger after the briefing.
[Prosecution Investigator: There are still parts that have not been finalized regarding staff salaries, job titles, positions, and various organizational operations.]
[Prosecution Investigator: People thought, 'We should go quickly and preempt positions.' But through the briefing session, question marks keep getting attached.]
With the nationwide tour of recruitment briefing sessions concluding tomorrow with the Jeju District Prosecutors' Office, concerns are growing that securing personnel could prove difficult with less than two months left before the launch of the Serious Crime Investigation Agency.
(Photo: Yonhap News)
Reported by Yang Hyun-chul | Video by Kim Jun-hee | Graphics by Lee Ga-jin
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