D-3: Serious Crime Investigation Agency Still a 'Construction Site'; Personnel Appointments 'Shrouded in Secrecy'

[Financial News] On the afternoon of the 29th, three days before the Serious Crime Investigation Agency is scheduled to launch on October 2, a new sign bearing the agency's name was mounted alongside a taegeuk symbol at the entrance of the Renais Square building in Jung District, Seoul. The building, which will house the agency's headquarters, was still undergoing final construction work. Finishing work was underway at the second-floor entrance, and equipment used by construction workers was placed throughout the building. The smell of cement and fresh wallpaper filled the interior. Basic facilities, including security gates that require employees to scan their access cards, were already in place.
Although the building is taking shape, preparations for the agency's launch remain a work in progress, from staffing and leadership appointments to office space. The selection of candidates for the second round of special appointments is nearing completion, but successful applicants are going through resignation procedures at their current organizations without even knowing their future work locations or posts. With the appointment of the agency's first chief delayed and the selection of key executives, including the deputy chief and regional chiefs, scheduled to continue through opening day, the agency is expected to launch as an 'unfinished system' for the time being.
Legal sources said the Serious Crime Investigation Agency Launch Preparatory Team under the Ministry of the Interior and Safety (MOIS) is in the final stages of selecting candidates for the second round of special appointments. Some successful applicants, including prosecution investigators, have reportedly already received notification of their results. A total of 201 people applied in the second round, held from the 15th to the 20th, including prosecutors; Grade 7 or higher public officials in the prosecution and narcotics investigation tracks; and general civil servants.
When the 1,761 final applicants from the first round of special appointments are added, the total number of applicants stands at 1,962. That is equivalent to 68.3% of the Serious Crime Investigation Agency's authorized workforce of 2,874, making additional recruitment through external career-based competitive hiring unavoidable even after the agency launches. After 80 prosecutors were selected in the first round, around 10 more are expected to be chosen in the second.

Complaints have also emerged about an 'opaque placement process.' A prosecutor who received notification of acceptance from the Serious Crime Investigation Agency said, "I still haven't been told where I am supposed to report for work," adding, "I may even be sent to a regional office." Successful applicants must complete procedures such as voluntary resignation at their current prosecution offices in order to be appointed, yet they do not know what posts they will hold or where they will work at the new agency.
The formation of the investigative command structure is also still underway. On the 17th, MOIS began career-based competitive recruitment for seven senior investigators, including the agency's deputy chief and the heads of the Seoul, Suwon, Daejeon, Daegu, Busan and Gwangju Regional Serious Crime Investigation Agencies. The document screening was conducted on the 23rd, but the successful candidates will not be announced until October 2, the agency's opening day. Their appointment date is listed only as 'sometime in October.'
Kim Ji-yong, the nominee to become the agency's first chief, still has to undergo a confirmation hearing in the National Assembly, making it difficult for the agency to establish a complete command structure from the day it launches. A legal professional who took part in preparations for the launch of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) said, "A situation without a chief and deputy chief is like having no approval chain," adding, "Even if the preparatory team establishes an operating system, it is important in practice to know who holds approval authority and in what direction that person will lead the organization."
Physical preparations for the launch are also expected to continue after opening day. Advance teams have been deployed to the headquarters and six regional offices to prepare office space and computer networks, but interior construction is still underway at some locations. Bidding procedures for interior electrical and fire-safety work are also ongoing at some offices, so operations will initially begin in the portions of the facilities that are ready first.
An official from the preparatory team said, "It is not possible to have everything completed and start on October 2," but added, "We are preparing the essential office space so that operations can proceed without problems." Another official explained, "Some things in any undertaking require a certain amount of physical time."
[email protected] Choi Eun-sol Reporter