Yoon's Annual Salary to Increase by 4 Million Won Alongside Civil Servants' Pay Raise...Deputy Ministers and Above to Donate

Ministry of Personnel Management, Improving Civil Servant Treatment... "Focus on Lower Ranks"
President's Salary Rises by 4 Million Won... Political Officials Donate 10% of Salary

[Asia Economy Reporter Baek Kyunghwan] This year, civil servant salaries will increase by 1.7% compared to the previous year. Notably, there will be improvements in the treatment of lower-level civil servants in grades 8 and 9, whose working conditions were relatively poor, and the salary of sergeants will also rise to 1 million KRW. The president's annual salary will increase by about 4 million KRW. Meanwhile, political appointees at the ministerial and vice-ministerial levels and above have agreed to donate a portion of their salaries.

On the 3rd, the Ministry of Personnel Management announced that the amendment proposals to the 'Civil Servant Salary Regulations' and the 'Regulations on Civil Servant Allowances, etc.' containing the 2023 civil servant treatment improvement measures were approved at the Cabinet meeting held that morning.

Looking at the new salary regulations, which will be applied starting this month, the salaries of civil servants at grade 5 (or equivalent) and below will increase by 1.7%. However, the salaries of managerial positions at grade 4 (or equivalent) and above will be frozen, and political appointees at the ministerial and vice-ministerial levels and above will voluntarily participate in practicing love-sharing by donating about 10% of their annual salary. The 2 billion KRW raised through donations will be used by the Ministry of Health and Welfare and operated by the Korea National Council on Social Welfare through the 'Love Sharing Practice' project to support living expenses, housing, medical, and educational costs for about 400 vulnerable households, including the elderly, disabled, and youth preparing for independence.

The president's annual salary has also increased accordingly. This year, President Yoon Seok-yeol's annual salary is 244,557,000 KRW, up about 1.6% from last year's 240,648,000 KRW.

Treatment for lower-level practical civil servants has been adjusted above the average. The starting salary for grade 9 (step 1) will be increased by 5%, matching the minimum wage increase rate, and the salaries of some low-experience civil servants in grades 8 and 9 (or equivalent) will be further raised. Additionally, the position allowance for grades 8 and 9 civil servants will be increased by 20,000 KRW, improving the position allowances for practical civil servants at grade 6 and below.

The compensation level for field civil servants working in public safety sectors such as the military, fire services, and police will also change. In particular, for military personnel, the salary of sergeants will be raised to 1 million KRW as part of a phased increase plan to improve the pay level of enlisted soldiers. The government is preparing a plan to raise the monthly salary of sergeants to 1.25 million KRW in 2024 and 1.5 million KRW in 2025. Along with this, considering the nature of fire and police work that maintains public safety and order, the salaries of practical-level fire and police officers (below Fire Captain and Police Superintendent) will be adjusted to the level of civil servants engaged in public safety duties.

Furthermore, to boost morale among civil servants performing special tasks or working in hazardous environments, the fairness of allowances will be enhanced. For example, civil servants conducting international mail inspection will now receive the hazardous duty allowance (50,000 KRW) previously given to those inspecting import and export cargo using radiation-generating devices. Also, the medical duty allowance (100,000 KRW) paid to civil servants engaged in medical work responding to level 1 infectious disease outbreaks will expand its recipients from current medical personnel, nursing assistants, pharmacists, Korean medicine doctors, and medical technicians to include certified emergency medical technicians.

Kim Seungho, head of the Ministry of Personnel Management, stated, "We will continue to improve the treatment of lower-level practical and field civil servants so that civil servants can work with pride by enhancing their working conditions."