# South Korean investigative agency reform debate > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/south-korean-investigative-agency-reform-debate > Updated: 2026-10-22T02:45:45.000Z. Sources: 6. Developments: 2. A dispute has emerged regarding the jurisdiction and independence of South Korea’s investigative bodies. The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) opposed a legislative proposal by Democratic Party lawmakers to remove the President and members of the National Assembly from its investigative scope. The proposal sought to transfer investigations of high-ranking executive and legislative officials to the Serious Crime Investigation Agency (SCIA). The CIO argued that such a change would cause a “regression of the check-and-balance structure,” noting that because the SCIA and police fall under the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, the executive branch would effectively oversee investigations into its own leadership. In response to concerns regarding political interference, the Presidential Office defended the attendance of heads of investigative agencies at cabinet meetings. Presidential spokesperson Seong Gi-hong stated that these meetings are intended for sharing national governance philosophies and discussing public welfare issues, rather than directing specific individual cases. The administration emphasized its commitment to the “fairness, political neutrality, and independence of investigations.” The administration also addressed criticisms regarding President Lee Jae-myung’s use of the AI tool Gemini, clarifying it was used only to “quickly confirm factual legal provisions” within the Constitution and the Government Organization Act. This issue has intensified political conflict; the ruling People Power Party alleged the directive is a tactic to influence the President’s own ongoing trials, while the Democratic Party dismissed these concerns as “comedy,” arguing that transparent oversight via cabinet meetings is preferable to clandestine control. ## Timeline ### 2026-10-22: South Korean Blue House defends presence of investigators at cabinet meetings South Korea's Blue House defended the inclusion of investigative agency heads in cabinet meetings, denying claims of political interference and emphasizing the need for shared governance and transparency. 5 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/south-korean-presidential-office-defends-investigative-heads-cabinet-attendance ### 2026-10-06: CIO opposes removing President and lawmakers from investigation scope South Korea's CIO opposes a plan to remove the President and lawmakers from its investigative scope, warning that transferring such cases to the SCIA would undermine political checks and balances. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/cio-opposes-removing-president-and-lawmakers-from-investigation-scope --- Cite as: South Korean investigative agency reform debate. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/south-korean-investigative-agency-reform-debate