CIO opposes removing President and lawmakers from investigation scope

The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) has expressed strong opposition to a proposed legislative amendment that would remove the President and members of the National Assembly from its investigative jurisdiction.

Democratic Party lawmakers are considering a plan to refocus the CIO’s resources on judicial and investigative officials, such as judges, prosecutors, and police officers. Under this proposal, investigations into high-ranking executive and legislative officials would be transferred to the Serious Crime Investigation Agency (SCIA).

CIO spokesperson Kim Baek-gi stated that such a move would represent a “regression of the check-and-balance structure.” He noted that because the SCIA and the police fall under the Ministry of the Interior and Safety—whose minister is appointed by the President—allowing the executive branch to oversee investigations into its own leadership would undermine the agency's independence and public trust.

The proposed reform also includes expanding the scope of investigations for police and SCIA officers to all ranks and potentially expanding the CIO into a nationwide organization. The CIO clarified that it has not consulted on these proposals and warned that a nationwide expansion would be unmanageable without a significant increase in personnel and organizational scale.