President Lee to SCIA Chief: "Speed Up Organizational Preparations"

Urges SCIA Chief Kim Jiyong to Establish Agency Quickly
Facilities and Equipment Expected to Be in Place by Year-End
Aims to Recruit Additional Staff by February Next Year

President Lee Jaemyung on Tuesday instructed Kim Jiyong, chief of the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency (SCIA), to move quickly to expand investigative staff and equip the agency with facilities and equipment. The SCIA was launched last month, but about one-third of its authorized positions remain vacant, prompting Lee to urge the agency to establish itself quickly. The remarks were seen as reflecting the view that prosecutorial reform, centered on separating investigations from prosecutions, must operate stably on the ground—not merely be launched as a system.

President Lee Jaemyung speaks at a Cabinet meeting held at Cheong Wa Dae on Nov. 10, 2026. Yonhap News Agency.

At the 48th Cabinet meeting, which he presided over at Cheong Wa Dae on Tuesday, Lee asked Kim, "Is the effort to bolster staffing at the SCIA going well?" Kim replied, "We plan to post a recruitment notice around the end of this month or early December," adding, "We expect to have filled a substantial number of positions by around February next year."

When Lee asked what share of the agency's authorized positions had been filled, Kim said, "We have currently filled 66%." When the SCIA was launched on October 2, it had secured only about 1,900 of its total 2,874 authorized staff positions.

Lee asked whether most of the vacancies were among investigative personnel, then checked on the status of securing office space, facilities and equipment. Kim said, "We expect everything to be in place by around mid-December this year."

Lee urged Kim, "The public is closely watching this process of judicial and prosecutorial reform, including reforms related to investigations and trials, so please move quickly even if it is difficult," adding, "I hope you can get everything in order promptly." Kim replied, "We will work to establish the agency quickly."

The SCIA took over the prosecution service's direct-investigation functions and investigates seven major crimes, including corruption, economic crimes and drug offenses. However, since its launch, work has continued to establish the foundations for its operations, including addressing a shortage of investigators and building an independent computer system.

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