South Korea's incoming Serious Crime Investigation Bureau announced its senior leadership lineup on Thursday, one day before the agency is set to open, according to 경향신문.
Choi Jae-min was named as the first head of the bureau's Seoul branch, while Jeon Jong-min was appointed as deputy chief of the bureau, the paper reported. Lim Eun-jung, a prosecutor known for her work on the "Dogani" case, was chosen to lead the Gwangju branch. MBC News also reported the appointments of Jeon as inaugural deputy chief, Choi as Seoul chief, and a first-grade investigator.
경향신문 reported that the timing of the personnel announcement, coming just a day before the bureau's launch, drew reactions of surprise. The paper described the mood as one of embarrassment over the last-minute nature of the appointments.
The new agency, referred to in Korean as 중수청, is preparing to begin operations. A photo report from 천지일보 marked the day before its official launch.
The leadership picks place Lim, a career prosecutor who gained public attention through a high-profile case, in charge of the Gwangju office. Choi will oversee the Seoul branch, and Jeon will serve as the bureau's second-ranking official.
It remains to be seen how the agency's leadership will take shape in its first weeks of operation and whether the late timing of the appointments will affect its launch.
