Prosecutors and investigators with deep experience in technology leaks, narcotics, and financial and securities crime are set to join the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency, which launches on Oct. 2. Contrary to earlier concerns that specialist investigators would be reluctant to apply, a substantial number of veterans in each field have been appointed and are expected to form the core of the agency's serious crime investigations in its early months.
According to legal sources on the 22nd, 80 prosecutors are set to be appointed to the agency, including many who have built expertise in major fields such as technology leaks, narcotics, financial and securities crime, and antitrust violations.
In the technology leak field, Lee Chun, chief of the Bucheon branch office and a member of the 33rd class of the Judicial Research and Training Institute, stands out. Lee previously served as a senior prosecutor handling technology leak investigations at the Suwon and Seoul Central district prosecutors' offices. Kim Dong-yul of the 38th class, a senior prosecutor in the Suwon office's defense procurement and industrial technology crime division, and prosecutor Oh Kwang-il, who passed the fourth bar examination, were also accepted. Lee Jae-pyo, deputy spokesperson for the Supreme Prosecutors' Office and a first-round bar examination graduate who holds a patent attorney license, also brings extensive technology leak investigation experience.
In narcotics, Shin Jun-ho of the 33rd class, deputy head of the joint narcotics crime investigation headquarters and head of the preparation team for the agency chief's confirmation hearing, is joining.
In financial crime, the list includes senior prosecutor Han Moon-hyuk of the 36th class, Kim Jung-hwan of the 37th class, head of the trial division at the Seoul Northern District Prosecutors' Office, Ki No-sung of the 36th class, head of the second criminal division at the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office, and prosecutor Choi Jong-pil of the 36th class, currently on assignment to the Financial Services Commission. Prosecutors Choi Min-hyuk of the 44th class and Oh Jung-heon, a fourth-round bar examination graduate, both from the fair trade investigation division of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, where they investigated corporate collusion cases, are also expected to handle antitrust investigations at the agency.
A large group of special investigation specialists among senior grade 4 and 5 prosecution investigators is also joining. Investigators Kim Hyung-oh, Shin Kyung-joon, Cho Sang-shin and Cho Sung-gil, all grade 4, have extensive records in anti-corruption investigations. Lee Chi-gil, grade 4, and Kim Kwang-tae, grade 5, are said to have considerable experience in financial crime investigations.
"There were expectations early on that not many capable prosecutors would apply to the agency, but looking at who was accepted, it appears a considerable number of people with strong investigative skills are included," a prosecution official said.
