Editorial: Criminals' Paradise Imminent as Serious Crimes Agency Launches with 40% Vacant

Attorney Kim Ji Yong, a former prosecutor, has been nominated as the first chief candidate for the serious crimes investigation agency (serious crimes agency) on September 7. When the prosecution office is abolished and the serious crimes agency and public prosecution office are launched on October 2, the criminal justice system will undergo a major overhaul. For the first time in 78 years since the establishment of the prosecution office in 1948, the nation's core investigative functions will be transferred to the serious crimes agency, and the prosecution will be transformed into a public prosecution office dedicated solely to indictments. The serious crimes agency will be responsible for investigating seven major crimes, including corruption and economic offenses. The worrying aspect is that the preparatory work has been rushed. Above all, with the launch just around the corner, 40% of the total workforce (2,874 people), or around 1,100 positions, remain unfilled. This is because 615 out of the 2,376 prosecutors and prosecution investigators who had applied for positions at the serious crimes agency withdrew their applications. Although additional recruitment is planned targeting police officers and lawyers, there is a significant gap in securing personnel. There are no reports of capable prosecutors applying. It is no exaggeration to say that the success or failure of the serious crimes agency depends on how well it inherits the investigative capabilities accumulated by the prosecution, but under these circumstances, the agency's initial investigative capacity is bound to be significantly weakened. This is not all. The serious crimes agency has failed to independently establish the Korea Information System of Criminal Justice Services, which tracks case progress, and will instead borrow the police system for a considerable period. Although the contracts for the six regional office buildings, which required an investment of 120.4 billion Korean won, were barely finalized at the end of last month, core equipment such as computing and communication systems are scheduled to be delivered only in December, after the agency's launch. The national core investigative agency is being forced to 'start the engine with the door open' without proper systems in place. Entrusting the serious crimes agency with supplementary investigations into the seven major crimes, including those against women and children, also has a high potential to exacerbate confusion. As concerns grew over the abolition of supplementary investigative authority, the Democratic Party decided that if the prosecution requests supplementary investigations into the police's handling of the seven major crimes, the serious crimes agency would take charge. However, by burdening the agency responsible for major crimes with civil cases as well, there is an increased risk of dispersed investigative capabilities and delays in case processing. Moreover, if a large number of unsolved cases from the prosecution office are transferred to the serious crimes agency after the abolition of the prosecution office, the agency could face functional paralysis. In the process, many criminals could evade legal consequences, and the resulting harm will ultimately be borne by the public. This is because the current administration pushed for the abolition of the prosecution office without adequate preparation, prioritizing the concerns of its hardline supporters. The administration should also be held accountable.