Lee Jae-myung: "Improve Civil Service Exams to Select by Skill, Not by 'Random Guess Luck'"

Lee Jae-myung Announces Small but Certain Happiness Pledge
"Improvement of Civil Service Exam System... Thorough Audit for Exam Errors"

Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party presidential candidate, is appealing for support at the 'Incheon Leap Forward, Proper Incheon Economy!' campaign rally held on the 22nd at the square in front of Bupyeong Station in Incheon. Photo by the National Assembly Photo Service.

[Asia Economy Reporter Koo Chae-eun] Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party of Korea, stated on the 25th that he will "improve the civil servant and nationally certified qualification exam system so that selection is based solely on ability, not on the examiners' mistakes or 'lucky guesses'." Specifically, he announced plans to increase the number of examiners to prevent errors in test questions and to hold them accountable through thorough audits if errors occur.

On the same day, Lee posted this as his 79th 'So-hwak-haeng (Small but Certain Happiness)' pledge on social media (SNS). He said, "Civil servant and various nationally certified qualification exams, which usually have competition rates of tens to even hundreds to one, rely on objectivity and fairness as their lifeblood. However, test question errors are repeated every year, and the responsibility for these errors is unclear." He also pledged to block so-called 'bomb questions' that are designed to differentiate test-takers. Lee emphasized, "The state must definitely remove anything that hinders the sweat and effort of examinees."

As part of his 'Myeong-hwak-haeng (Lee Jae-myung's Certain Happiness)' pledge, Lee announced plans to expand the art selection contest system introduced in Gyeonggi Province nationwide. Myeong-hwak-haeng is a series of pledges highlighting policies Lee implemented during his tenure as governor of Gyeonggi Province and emphasizing their execution.

Lee explained, "In 2019, we became the first in the nation to mandate public contests for sculptures to be installed in apartment complexes or affiliated institutions, and private businesses that install artworks through the contest process receive several additional points. Although some galleries opposed losing their monopolized opportunities, overcoming such resistance and restoring fairness across all areas of society is the duty of a representative entrusted with the people's power."