Recent long lines of applicants to take South Korea’s Public Service examination (pictured) indicates that in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the attractions of the country’s private sector may have lost their lustre.
Stable working conditions, good treatment and work-life balance are the major factors drawing in Koreans in record numbers.
People believe Public Service work is less competitive than at private companies, and they are free from pressure to produce.
It is not only graduates, but people with established careers in the private sector who are applying.
A 33-year-old office worker at a marketing company in Seoul has been studying for the Public Service examination since last year, he watches online lectures at night after work and spends whole weekends studying with other people also preparing for the exam.
“I worked hard to get my current job, but I don’t think it really fits me,” the office worker said.
“There has been a lot of pressure on me to come up with meaningful achievements and productive outcomes,” he said.
“It seems like the work that public officials do is less stressful, and above all things, they have guaranteed tenure.”
The office worker said he was aiming for a Grade Seven position within the Korean Public Service which has a nine-grade system, Grade One being the highest.
Public Servants have guaranteed tenure, and the salary goes up according to a fixed schedule – they also get a pension.
The Government’s efforts to increase the number of public sector jobs is another reason, all Koreans, regardless of their age, are allowed to take the examination.
The number of public officials in Korea has risen by 99,465 during three years and eight months of the current Government, more than the increase under the four previous administrations.
Seoul, 18 August 2021
