A new agency dedicated to investigating major crimes will have 2,874 personnel when it launches in October as part of a sweeping reform that strips prosecutors of their independent and supplementary investigative powers, the interior ministry said Tuesday. The ministry said implementing decrees detailing the operational standards and organizational structure of the tentatively named Serious Crimes Investigation Agency (SCIA) were approved at a Cabinet meeting earlier in the day. The new agency will investigate seven categories of major crimes — corruption, economic crimes, defense acquisition, drug offenses, crimes against state security, such as insurrection and foreign aggression, cybercrimes and offenses involving the distortion of the law. It will have a total of 2,874 personnel, including 2,567 investigators and 307 general-service employees. The SCIA will have six regional offices nationwide, each with dedicated and specialized investigative units tailored to the characteristics of the region. For instance, the Seoul regional office will have a joint investigation division handli