About 100 incumbent prosecutors have applied to the Major Serious Crimes Investigation Agency (Jung Sucheong), which launches in October.
According to legal sources on the 22nd, about 100 prosecutors applied for the special appointment of investigators at Jung Sucheong, which ran from the 7th to the 20th. That is 5% of all 2,300 prosecutors. Applicants reportedly surged just before the deadline.
Among the prosecutors who applied to Jung Sucheong, many are from Judicial Research and Training Institute classes 36–37, equivalent to Director General-level prosecutors, and those with more than 10 years of experience. Lim Eun-jeong, head of the Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors' Office, and Moon Ji-seok, Director General prosecutor at the Suwon High Prosecutors' Office who raised the "Coupang probe suppression allegations," are also said to have applied to Jung Sucheong.
A mid-career prosecutor who applied to Jung Sucheong said, "I agonized until just before the deadline, but I applied because I want to keep doing investigative work," and noted, "I can accept my status changing to investigator."
According to the Jung Sucheong launch task force, a total of 2,375 Prosecution Service employees applied in this appointment process. That is 82.6% of the total authorized headcount of 2,874 under Jung Sucheong's organization. Based on the submitted applications, the task force will consider preferred duty stations, experience, and expertise to select special appointees in September and appoint them on Oct. 2, Jung Sucheong's launch date.
Under the Jung Sucheong Investigator Appointment Decree, prosecutors who transfer to Jung Sucheong will have their status changed to investigator. Depending on prior posts and legal careers, those at district chief level will be appointed as Grade 1 investigators, and those at Vice Administrator and Director General prosecutor levels will be appointed as Grade 2 investigators. Those with 10 or more years of legal experience will be appointed as Grade 3 investigators, and those with less than 10 years will be appointed as Grade 4 investigators.
Unfilled positions will later be covered through additional special appointments for employees of the future Public Prosecution Agency. The agency also plans to bolster staffing through experienced competitive hiring targeting police officers; attorneys; accountants; and experts in cyber technology and financial analysis.
After its launch on Oct. 2, Jung Sucheong will investigate seven major crime categories: corruption, economic crimes, defense procurement, narcotics, national security crimes such as insurrection and external collaboration, cybercrime, and the crime of distorting the law. The Prosecution Service will become the Public Prosecution Agency and handle only indictment and prosecution maintenance.