9th Grade Civil Service Exam Competition Rate Hits 'Lowest' in 30 Years... Reasons Behind Declining Popularity [Heo Midam's Youth Report]

This Year's 9th Grade Public Service Exam Competition Rate 29:1... Declining for 5 Consecutive Years
Many Young Public Officials Resign Despite Passing the Exam

Citizens are hurrying on their way to work at the Gwanghwamun intersection in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by the reporter is unrelated to specific expressions in the article.

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[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] # Mr. Oh (27), a first-year local government official, is recently preparing to change jobs. Although he passed the civil service exam after overcoming competition rates of dozens to one, he felt disillusioned due to the low salary level compared to the workload. Mr. Oh said, "I thought being a civil servant was a stable job with less stress," adding, "However, there were more frequent overtime hours than I expected, and I often had to face malicious complainants, which caused a lot of stress." He continued, "Even if I work hard, the low salary seems to further reduce my motivation to work."

The competition rate for the Grade 9 national civil service open recruitment exam, which was once close to 100 to 1, has recorded its lowest level in 30 years. Civil servants were called 'cheolbap-tong' (iron rice bowl) due to their stable employment environment. However, compared to private companies, the lower salary level, closed organizational culture, and excessive workload seem to have recently reduced the preference for civil service jobs among young people.

This year, the average competition rate for the Grade 9 national civil service open recruitment exam was recorded at 29.2 to 1. The Ministry of Personnel Management announced in February that a total of 165,524 applicants applied for 5,672 positions in the Grade 9 national civil service open recruitment exam. This is the first time since 1992 (19.3 to 1) that the average competition rate for the Grade 9 national civil service exam has fallen below 30 to 1.

The average competition rate for the Grade 9 national civil service exam, which soared to 93.3 to 1 in 2011, has been steadily declining. The competition rates over the past five years were ▲2018: 41 to 1 ▲2019: 39.2 to 1 ▲2020: 37.2 to 1 ▲2021: 35 to 1 ▲2022: 29.2 to 1, showing a clear downward trend. The Ministry of Personnel Management cites the decline in competition rates primarily to ▲the decrease in the population of people in their 20s and 30s ▲and reforms to the civil servant pension system.

A test taker is studying in a reading room inside a civil service academy in Seoul. The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. [Image source=Yonhap News]

However, among young people, opinions also point to rigid organizational culture and low pay as causes. Job seeker Ms. Lee (25) said, "I considered becoming a stable civil servant because I had no dreams. But I thought the salary was too low compared to the work civil servants do," adding, "Also, aren't there quite a few malicious complainants recently? I think it would be better to join a private company where the salary is higher or where I can receive performance bonuses."

Meanwhile, the number of young civil servants voluntarily resigning is also increasing. According to the Government Employees Pension Service, 5,961 civil servants aged 18 to 35 retired in 2020. This is a significant increase compared to 4,375 in 2017. In particular, those who retired within five years of service numbered 9,968, accounting for 21% of all retired civil servants.

Mr. Choi (28), a Grade 9 civil servant, said, "Being a civil servant doesn't mean the work is easy. I have to handle not only miscellaneous tasks assigned by my superiors but also various malicious complaints. I really want to change jobs, but it's not easy to find another job that suits me, so I have no choice but to stay," adding, "Also, the culture of strict hierarchy still remains. I've seen several employees quit because they were exhausted by this outdated culture."

Experts analyze that when job conditions fail to meet expectations, young people are more likely to decide to quit than older generations. Professor Kwak Geumju of Seoul National University's Department of Psychology said, "Young people prefer stable jobs with work-life balance (WLB). However, even if they find a job with difficulty, if they feel a gap between reality and their ideals, they tend not to endure it and try to change jobs."