South Korea abolished its central Prosecutors' Office on October 2, 2026, ending a 78-year structure and creating a public prosecution and indictment agency alongside the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency (SCIA). Prosecutors can no longer conduct their own investigations but may review cases, request warrants and bring or maintain indictments, while police assume greater investigative authority and the SCIA handles seven major-crime categories. The SCIA opened with about 1,900 employees, or 66% of its authorized 2,874, and without a chief. President Lee Jae-myung defended former prosecutor Kim Ji-yong, whose nomination followed public recommendations, independent shortlisting of four candidates and interior-ministry nomination, after the presidential office rebutted five allegations; Lee said he would decide after a parliamentary confirmation hearing. The reform has drawn scrutiny over police accountability, the loss of prosecutors' supplementary-investigation powers, initial complaints and more than 250 billion won in office commitments through 2031. Prediction-market pricing cited by Vera put the likelihood of Lee's arrest before 2027 at 5.2% for a YES resolution.