[Anchor]

Today, August 4, 2026, with the abolition of prosecutors' investigative powers finalized, the government announced the staffing, organizational structure, and appointment plans for the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency (Jungsoocheong). Securing the investigative capabilities previously held by the prosecution is expected to be the first major test for the new agency.

Reporter Yun Nara has the details.

[Reporter]

The organizational structure and workforce scale of the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency, which will launch to handle major crime investigations following the abolition of the Prosecutors' Office on October 2, have been finalized.

Jungsoocheong will consist of a headquarters and six regional offices, with a total workforce of 2,874 personnel.

[Kim Min-jae / Vice Minister of the Interior and Safety: "(It will) expertly investigate the seven major serious crimes stipulated by law, including corruption, economic crimes, defense acquisition, narcotics, national protection, cybercrime, and the crime of law distortion."]

Joint investigation units, staffed by personnel dispatched from other agencies such as the Financial Services Commission and the National Tax Service, will be established in Seoul, Suwon, and Daejeon to investigate livelihood-affecting crimes such as voice phishing.

A special investigation team for crimes against vulnerable social groups will also be established to handle supplementary investigations requested by Prosecution Service prosecutors.

Analysts point out that securing existing prosecutorial personnel is key for Jungsoocheong to minimize initial investigation vacuums and ensure expertise.

When asked whether they will be able to fill the positions before the October launch, a government official stated, "We cannot guarantee how many prosecutors will apply, but we will do our best."

To this end, the government has allowed prosecutors and prosecution investigators to be appointed to Jungsoocheong without separate examinations on a temporary basis until April of next year.

Special exceptions have also been offered to current prosecutors, granting them ranks equivalent to Grades 1 through 4 while maintaining their previous salaries and retirement ages.

For instance, chief prosecutors of district offices will be treated as Grade 1, deputy and senior prosecutors as Grade 2, prosecutors with 10 or more years of legal experience as Grade 3, and prosecutors with less than 10 years of experience as Grade 4 investigators.

If investigations cannot proceed in a timely manner due to a shortage of investigative personnel, the damage will ultimately fall upon the general public.

[Baek Won-ki / President of the Korean Association of Law Professors: "If investigative units are not formed and investigations cannot proceed, victims will have no choice but to wait if their damages are not remedied."]

In addition, standards for transferring cases currently under direct investigation by the prosecution and methods of cooperation with the Prosecution Service still need to be established.

(Photo: Jo Choon-dong | Video Editing: Jang Hyun-ki)