SCIA Preparatory Team Opens Recruitment for Prosecutors and Investigators with Special Appointment Conditions

The preparatory team for the establishment of a new Serious Crimes Investigation Agency (SCIA) has begun recruiting prosecutors and investigators from the existing prosecution service. The agency is seeking individuals interested in special appointments to join its ranks, with applications being accepted until August 20.

The recruitment targets officials currently serving within the prosecution service as of October 1, 2026. Those wishing to transfer from the Ministry of Justice will need to change their affiliation to the prosecution service first. The SCIA's main office and its regional branches in Seoul, Suwon, Daejeon, Daegu, Busan, and Gwangju are included in this recruitment drive.

Under the special appointment conditions, prosecutors transferring to the SCIA will be assigned investigator positions commensurate with their previous roles and legal experience. For instance, prosecutors at the level of District Prosecutor General will become Grade 1 investigators, while Deputy Prosecutors General and Division Prosecutors will be appointed as Grade 2 investigators. Prosecutors with over 10 years of legal experience will be designated as Grade 3 investigators, and those with less than 10 years will be Grade 4. However, if the number of applicants exceeds the quotas for each grade, some individuals may be appointed to a lower grade than their experience would typically warrant.

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We will comprehensively consider the preferred work location, the region of the current prosecution office, residence, career, length of service, and institutional operating and staffing situations.

Applicants are required to list up to four preferred work locations, with a limit of two preferences for SCIA branches in the Seoul metropolitan area. The selection process will consider factors such as preferred work location, the applicant's current prosecution office region, proximity of residence, career history, length of service, and the agency's operational needs and staffing requirements. The SCIA noted that not all applicants may be appointed, even if they express interest, depending on the number of available positions for each grade and the applicants' qualifications.

To facilitate the process, the SCIA preparatory team is conducting a series of information sessions across the country. These sessions began on August 5 in Busan, Changwon, and Gwangju, covering six High Prosecutors' Offices and 18 District Prosecutors' Offices. As of August 6, approximately 1,100 individuals, including about 110 prosecutors, had attended these sessions. The sessions continued on August 7 in Ulsan, Daegu, Jeonju, and Daejeon, and were scheduled for August 7 in Chuncheon, Cheongju, Suwon, and the Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors' Office.

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Depending on the number of available positions for each grade and the applicants' qualifications, not all applicants may be appointed.