Korea's New Serious Crimes Agency Adds AI, Crypto Analysis Division

The detailed organizational structure of the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency, set to launch on the 2nd of next month, has been finalized. Its headquarters will include a new division dedicated to crimes involving artificial intelligence and to tracking and analyzing virtual assets, while the Seoul regional office will house investigation bureaus organized by crime type, covering economic, financial, anti-corruption and narcotics cases.

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety enacted and promulgated the enforcement rules on the organization of the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency and its affiliated institutions on the 23rd of this month, according to related government agencies on the 24th. The rules take effect on the 2nd of next month, the agency's launch date. They set out the sub-organizations and division of duties for the agency's headquarters and its six regional offices in Seoul, Suwon, Daejeon, Daegu, Busan and Gwangju.

The headquarters investigation structure centers on three bureaus: the Economic Crime Investigation Bureau, the Anti-Corruption Investigation Bureau and the Forensic Science Investigation Bureau. The Economic Crime Investigation Bureau will oversee divisions handling economic crime, financial crime, antitrust and criminal proceeds. The Anti-Corruption Investigation Bureau will include divisions for anti-corruption, narcotics, public and social safety, and fund tracing and accounting analysis.