The team is a dedicated organization to ensure a stable start for the new agency, which is to be established on Oct. 2 as part of a criminal justice overhaul separating investigations from prosecutions.
The preparation team will be set up under the ministry. Vice Minister Kim Min-jae will serve concurrently as head, and Lee Jin-yong, second deputy chief prosecutor at the Incheon District Prosecutors’ Office, will be deputy head. It will have three divisions — general affairs, investigative practice planning, and finance and facilities — with a staff of 64.
Officials will be seconded mainly from the Ministry of Justice, the Interior Ministry, the prosecution and the National Police Agency. The ministry said it plans to center staffing on personnel with hands-on investigative experience, including investigators, so casework can continue smoothly after the agency opens.
The team’s work falls into four areas. First, it will build the institutional foundation for operations by revising and updating practical rules, including laws and regulations related to the agency, and by setting up investigative procedures and interagency cooperation systems.
Second, it will design the agency’s detailed structure, staffing and personnel rules, and handle recruitment of officials to work there. Third, it will prepare to transfer cases and investigative capabilities from existing investigative bodies, including procedures for handing over cases and crime intelligence, processes for warrant applications and case transfers, and a phased transfer of personnel and expertise in key areas such as anti-corruption, economic crimes, narcotics and forensic science.
Fourth, it will secure the operational base, including offices and information systems. Plans include obtaining and remodeling headquarters and regional office buildings, creating interview and office space, and building electronic systems needed for work, including the Korea Criminal Justice Information System (KICS), an electronic approval system and a website.
The ministry said the team will work closely with related agencies, including the Office for Government Policy Coordination, the Ministry of Justice and the National Police Agency, to carry out tasks in stages and ensure the agency opens on Oct. 2 without disruption.
Interior Minister Yoon Ho-jung said, “With the launch of the preparation team, preparations for establishing the agency — including securing office space, organizing personnel and building systems — are now on track.” He added, “The ministry will do its utmost so the agency can take root as an investigative body that protects the rights and interests of the people and earns public trust.”
* This article has been translated by AI.
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