The History of the Prosecutors' Office Ends... First Day at Gwangju Prosecution Service Agency and SCIA Marked by Relative Calm

First Steps in Separating Investigation and Indictment
Lack of Preparation Evident Across Agencies

With the repeal of the Prosecutors' Office Act, the launch of the Prosecution Service Agency and the Serious Crime Investigation Agency (SCIA), which have fully separated indictment and investigation, officially began on October 2.

On the first day that the sign for the "Prosecutors' Office," which had stood at the pinnacle of the criminal justice system for 78 years, was removed, the morning scene at the Gwangju Prosecution Service Agency and the Gwangju Serious Crime Investigation Agency, which have jurisdiction over Jeonnam Gwangju, was comparatively calm.

Exterior view of the Gwangju Regional Serious Crime Investigation Office. Photo by Manki Min

That morning, the Gwangju Regional Prosecution Service Agency building, located in Jisan-dong, Dong-gu, Gwangju, greeted its first day in a typically subdued atmosphere. Gyeongsoon Koh, the inaugural chief of the Metropolitan Prosecution Service Agency, and Kim Jongwoo, the first head of the Regional Prosecution Service Agency, quietly began their official duties without holding a separate inaugural ceremony or giving an acceptance speech.

Prosecutors and investigators went to work as usual, using their access cards at the existing building, but traces of the organization's 78-year history remained everywhere throughout the facility.

The most significant change was in the civil services office on the first floor. As prosecutors' direct investigation authority has been completely abolished, the Prosecution Service Agency can no longer accept complaints or accusations as of this day.

The civil services office, which used to be busy with petitioners, suspects, and witnesses, was now deserted due to the absence of visitors. A representative of the Prosecution Service Agency stated, "Since we no longer summon people for investigations as before, the number of visitors to the civil services office has dropped to less than half compared to usual."

During the 90-day grace period for supplementary investigations, the Prosecution Service Agency plans to complete investigations into major cases with imminent statutes of limitations, while sequentially transferring the remaining cases to the police or the Serious Crime Investigation Agency.

The Gwangju Regional Serious Crime Investigation Agency, which now holds the authority to directly investigate seven major crimes, appeared to be still underprepared.

On the morning of the 2nd, the first day of the launch of the Serious Crime Investigation Agency, the first complaint was filed at the Gwangju Regional Serious Crime Investigation Agency in Buk-gu, Gwangju, Jeonnam. Photo by Yonhap News

From 7:30 a.m., investigators began arriving for their first day at the SCIA lobby, which is located in a building in Jungheung-dong, Buk-gu, Gwangju, Jeonnam. Around 60 investigators and 1-2 prosecutors, relocated from the Gwangju District Prosecutors' Office, as well as others transferred from Haenam, Mokpo, Incheon, and other regions, wandered around the unfamiliar building, carrying stacks of files and personal belongings as they figured out the new layout.

In front of the main entrance, two trucks loaded with office supplies such as copy paper, pens, and tissue delivered cargo all day. Among the total capacity of 240 personnel, only 140 (58.3%) reported for duty on the first day, marking the lowest staffing rate among all regional Serious Crime Investigation Agencies nationwide.

The agency even lacked its own detention facility for suspects, so it decided to borrow holding cells from the Gwangju Eastern Police Station.

Despite the confusion, the SCIA’s “Case No. 1” was officially filed. However, the agency did not even have an electronic form for the basic “complaint receipt confirmation” that should be issued to the complainant, resulting in the staff being unable to provide the relevant document on site.

A regional legal professional commented, "Although a major shift in the judicial system—separating direct investigations from the power to indict—has taken place, on the ground, the lack of adequate systems and infrastructure makes an initial period of investigation gaps and confusion inevitable. It is urgent that both agencies stabilize as quickly as possible during the grace period for supplementary investigations at the Prosecution Service Agency."

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