(ATTN: UPDATES with remarks from SCIA chief nominee in paras 16-19)
SEOUL, Oct. 2 (Yonhap) -- South Korea launched a prosecution service only tasked with indicting and a new investigation agency Friday in a major reform to the criminal justice system.
The Serious Crimes Investigation Agency (SCIA) and the restructured Prosecution Service held official launch ceremonies, replacing the existing prosecutors' office after 78 years.
The move comes as part of a major reform to the prosecution, which has faced criticism over wielding excessive authority to conduct both investigations and indictments.
Under the reform, prosecutors will be stripped of their investigative powers and only be tasked with indicting and maintaining indictments against suspects, with police being handed more authority over criminal investigations.
The sign for the restructured Prosecution Service (L) and the newly launched Serious Crimes Investigation Agency (Yonhap)
The prosecution's 42 departments that conducted investigations have been abolished, with their functions being transferred over to the new investigation agency.
The SCIA will be tasked with investigating major crimes in seven categories -- corruption, economic crimes, defense acquisition, drug offenses, crimes against state security, cybercrimes and offenses involving distortion of the law.
Interior Minister Yun Ho-jung called for close cooperation between the agencies.
"Even if investigations and indictments are separated, the responsibility to the people should not be divided," he said during the SCIA's launch ceremony. "Each agency must faithfully play their roles and establish a thorough cooperation system to prevent gaps in cases from the start to the end."
In a release, the new prosecution service said it would "faithfully" fulfill its role centered on the people.
Officials mark the official launch of the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency during a ceremony at the agency's office in central Seoul on Oct. 2, 2026. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)
The reform, however, has faced pushback amid concerns of excessive authority to police and reduced checks on police investigations as prosecutors no longer have the authority to conduct supplementary investigations.
The police have faced intense public scrutiny in recent months over allegations of misconduct, including a missing person case on the southern resort island of Jeju that was closed without confirming the safety of the missing woman.
Critics have raised questions about whether prosecutors can properly pursue indictments against criminal suspects without any investigative powers.
The two agencies were also launched without chiefs at the helm, raising concerns over possible gaps in decision-making.
President Lee Jae Myung has requested a parliamentary confirmation hearing for his nominee for the inaugural SCIA chief, Kim Ji-yong, a former prosecutor.
Kim's nomination has faced opposition from some ruling Democratic Party hardliners, who claimed the nominee had once opposed prosecution reform.
Kim vowed to embody the spirit of reforms to the prosecution if appointed to office.
"If I am given the opportunity to work as the head of the SCIA, (I) will do my part to realize the spirit of prosecutorial reform," he told reporters.
He also said he would address concerns raised against him during his confirmation hearing, pledging all-out efforts to ensure the agency has the capabilities to counter major crimes once in office.
The SCIA faces immediate workforce shortages, with only about 1,900 employees at launch, about 66 percent of its authorized staffing level of 2,874.
A worker grinds off the prosecution's mark from a manhole at the Supreme Prosecutors Office in southern Seoul on Sept. 29, 2026, ahead of the launch of the restructured Prosecution Service on Oct. 2. (Yonhap)
The new investigation agency received about a dozen criminal complaints on the morning of its launch.
A shareholder rights group filed a complaint against the executives and union leaders of Samsung Electronics Co. and SK hynix Inc., accusing them of breach of trust over pay deals involving massive performances bonuses, and arguing they led to shareholder losses.
A member of the group also separately filed a complaint against President Lee and former Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back on charges of benefiting an enemy over a recent mine blast inside the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas.
The complaint claims Lee and Ahn were aware of North Korean soldiers planting mines south of the border and failed to remove them.
South Korea's military has blamed North Korea for the Sept. 21 mine blast that left South Korean soldiers injured. North Korea has denied responsibility for the explosion.
yunhwanchae@yna.co.kr
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