The final number of applicants for special appointments to the Serious Crime Investigation Agency (SCIA) fell to 1,761 after 615 applicants withdrew. The initial applicant count was 2,376, and according to reports citing the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, withdrawals took place through August 31, 2026.
Key Changes
The SCIA has 2,874 authorized positions in total. The final applicant count of 1,761 represents 61.3% of the authorized positions, down from 82.6% based on the initial applicant count—a decrease of 21.3 percentage points.
The final applicant count and the number of people actually appointed are not the same thing.
The special appointment procedure allows prosecutors and investigators affiliated with the prosecution service to be appointed as SCIA officials without taking a separate open competitive examination if they wish to transfer. However, not all 1,761 final applicants will necessarily be appointed. The SCIA Launch Preparatory Group will select appointees based on their preferred work location, career history, and expertise.
Current Status
The SCIA is designed with 2,874 total positions, comprising 2,567 investigators and 307 general-service officials and others. It is scheduled to operate through a headquarters and six regional offices in Seoul, Suwon, Daejeon, Daegu, Busan, and Gwangju.
Its jurisdiction covers the seven major serious crimes specified by law: corruption, economic crimes, defense-industry procurement crimes, narcotics, national-protection crimes, cybercrime, and distortion of law.
The Serious Crime Investigation Agency Organization and Operation Act was enacted and promulgated on March 24, 2026, and will take effect on October 2, 2026.
Impact
For positions that cannot be filled through special appointments alone, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety said it plans to conduct additional special appointments while also recruiting external specialists—including police officers, lawyers, accountants, and patent attorneys—through competitive career-based hiring.
What is currently confirmed is that the number of special-appointment applicants has declined and that additional recruitment procedures are planned. Based solely on the confirmed facts, it is not possible to conclude what caused the 615 withdrawals or whether they will lead to delays in the agency’s launch or investigative gaps.
Next Checkpoint
According to Ministry of the Interior and Safety materials, the special-appointment recipients are scheduled to be selected in September and appointed in time for the October 2 effective date. The next points to monitor are how many of the final applicants are ultimately confirmed for appointment and how the additional special appointments and external-specialist recruitment proceed.