Following the Prosecution Office Act, SCIO Act Also Passes Plenary Session Led by Ruling Party

Led by the Democratic Party and Ruling Bloc Parties

People Power Party Abstains

The bill to establish the Serious Crime Investigation Agency (SCIA), follow-up legislation to the abolition of the Prosecutors' Office, passed the National Assembly plenary session with 166 votes in favor and 1 against out of 167 members present.

Lee Dalhee, a member of the People Power Party, is conducting an unlimited debate on the Act on the Organization and Operation of the Serious Crime Investigation Agency (Revised Bill) at the plenary session of the National Assembly on the 20th. Photo by Yonhap News

On March 21, the National Assembly passed the SCIA Act, led by the Democratic Party and other affiliated parties. The opposition People Power Party did not participate in the vote.

The SCIA Act stipulates matters necessary for the overall operation of the newly established agency following the abolition of the Prosecutors' Office, including its organization, scope of duties, and personnel management. Under the bill, the SCIA will be established as an agency under the Minister of the Interior and Safety, and its main investigative targets will be six categories of crimes: corruption, economic crimes, defense industry crimes, drug crimes, insurrection and foreign exchange crimes, and cybercrimes. Additionally, the agency's investigative scope will include crimes such as offenses related to legal distortion, and crimes committed while in office by public officials from the Prosecution Service, police, and the courts.

The head of the SCIA will be appointed through a process involving a recommendation from a candidate recommendation committee, nomination by the Minister of the Interior and Safety, designation by the President, and a confirmation hearing in the National Assembly. The term of office will be two years. SCIA investigators will hold special government positions, classified into nine grades from level 1 to 9 within a single rank system. Open recruitment is the general principle, but those with relevant knowledge, experience, technical expertise, or research achievements may be hired through a career-based process.

The original government bill included a provision requiring the SCIA to notify the Prosecution Service when initiating an investigation, but the Democratic Party removed this clause through discussions among the party, government, and presidential office.

The previous day, the National Assembly passed the Prosecution Service Act, which stipulates the organizational structure of the Prosecution Service and the authority of its prosecutors. The passage of the SCIA Act at the plenary session on this day moves the Democratic Party’s prosecutorial reform legislation, based on the principle of separating investigation and prosecution, toward completion.

The People Power Party opposed the inclusion of the SCIA Act on the plenary agenda the previous day and launched a filibuster (an unlimited debate as a legitimate means to obstruct proceedings). However, after 24 hours of debate as allowed under the relevant law, the Democratic Party, together with smaller progressive parties, ended the debate by vote and sequentially passed the bills.

With the completion of the legislative procedures for the Prosecution Service Act and SCIA Act in the National Assembly, the Democratic Party plans to continue its self-proclaimed prosecutorial reform efforts, including the processing of amendments to the Criminal Procedure Act, after the local elections in June.

Meanwhile, regarding amendments to the Criminal Procedure Act, a point of contention within the party is whether to grant supplementary investigative powers to prosecutors of the Prosecution Service. President Lee Jaemyung has expressed the view that exceptional supplementary investigative powers are necessary, but hardliners within the party argue that such powers should not be permitted.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.