[Exclusive] No Guarantee of Bureau Director Post with 'Grade 3 Appointment' at Serious Crime Investigation Agency... Prosecutors Say "Can't Trust Organizational Chart"

Special Appointment as Grade 3 for Prosecutors with Over 10 Years of Experience
All Eligible Appointees Hired Even If Grade 3 Quota Is Exceeded
Regional Bureau Director Posts Are Separate... Appointment Grade and Actual Position May Not Align

Prosecutors with more than 10 years of legal experience who are transferring to the Serious Crimes Investigation Office (SCIO) will be appointed as Level 3 investigators through a special provision. However, it has been determined that this does not guarantee them positions equivalent to Level 3 roles, such as regional office director. Although the government has publicly indicated that the director of the investigation bureau at regional offices will be organized as a Level 3 position, the special appointment rank and the actual post can be managed separately. Among prosecutors who must decide whether to move to the SCIO by the 20th, some have voiced discontent, saying, "If you expect to be appointed director simply because of a Level 3 appointment, you may end up feeling like you've been deceived during the hiring process."

Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, Seocho-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jin-Hyung Kang

According to a comprehensive report by The Asia Business Daily on August 11, the Preparatory Committee for the SCIO under the Ministry of the Interior and Safety provided a detailed explanation of these "special provisions for workforce and appointment" during an appointment information session held at the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office and the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office on the same day.

According to the special provision currently undergoing legislative notice, if the current number of personnel at a specific grade exceeds the official quota during the special appointment process, the actual number present will be recognized as the new quota. For example, although the quota for Level 3 investigators is set at 30, even if the number of Level 3 appointees exceeds this—according to materials presented at the SCIO session—the quota of 30 does not act as a strict upper limit. For instance, if 32 people are appointed as Level 3 investigators, all 32 are simultaneously recognized as both the actual staff employed and the staff quota.

Job assignments may also not necessarily correspond to the rank. During the session, a special measure was introduced allowing Level 2 investigators to be assigned to Level 3 positions, and Level 3 investigators to Level 4 positions. This is intended to allow for flexible staff allocation in case of overcrowding or shortages at certain levels.

According to the previously publicized appointment plan, chief prosecutors for district offices are to be appointed as Level 1, deputy chief and division chief prosecutors as Level 2, other prosecutors with more than 10 years of legal experience as Level 3, and those with less than 10 years’ experience as Level 4 investigators. These ranks will be applied temporarily through April 30 of next year.

"Will a Prosecutor with Ten Years’ Experience Immediately Become Director?"... Level 3 Appointment and Position Assignment Are Separate Issues

The issue is that prosecutors with more than ten years of legal experience, even after being appointed as Level 3, are not automatically given director positions at regional offices. Although the director of the investigation bureau at a regional office is classified as Level 3 in the SCIO's organizational structure, at the headquarters, Level 3 can hold titles such as department head or officer, meaning that a Level 3 appointment does not necessarily equate to being assigned as a director.

During the information session, questions reportedly arose about what role a rank-and-file prosecutor would actually be given after appointment as Level 3. In this context, cases were mentioned where division chief prosecutors were assigned to department head posts classified as Level 4 in the Ministry of Justice’s organizational chart. Since the prosecution service does not use the typical 1-to-9 civil service ranking system, it is difficult to directly correlate prosecutorial experience to administrative rank and actual assignments.

One incumbent prosecutor who attended the session said, "It was made clear that being appointed as Level 3 and being given a regional director post are separate matters," adding, "If someone applies while only looking at the disclosed organizational chart, they might well feel like they've been deceived in employment."

Another prosecution official said, "For prosecutors, it’s critical not only to know at what level they will be appointed, but also exactly what role and responsibilities they will have," adding, "We need to have clear criteria for actual job assignments before the application deadline."

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