Public Servants' Wages at 82.3% of Private Sector Last Year
Public Servants' Union Demands 377,000 Won Wage Increase
A level 9 local government official has sparked attention by revealing a net monthly salary of about 1.9 million won, prompting calls for improved treatment of public servants.
According to a Yonhap News report on the 23rd, Mr. A, a level 9 public official at an institution in Jeonbuk who started public service last year, received a net salary of 1,975,390 won in May.
Mr. A's total remuneration was 2,717,500 won, but 742,110 won was deducted for health insurance (75,370 won), contributions (238,430 won), and the Korea Mutual Aid Association fee (310,000 won), among others.
With a monthly salary of less than 2 million won, Mr. A finds it difficult to make ends meet.
As a single, unmarried individual living alone, Mr. A rents a one-room apartment with a deposit of 5 million won and pays 300,000 won in monthly rent.
After deducting utility bills such as electricity, mobile phone charges, and pension savings, the amount he can freely use is just over 500,000 won.
In this situation, Mr. A has not yet been able to purchase a car and walks to the office.
Lunch is provided by the institution, but the high meal cost of 10,000 won per meal is a burden, making dinner a concern.
Even with dual incomes, the unstable economic situation makes marriage unthinkable.
Mr. A said, "I was used to low pay from my previous job, but the salary of a level 9 public official is too low," adding, "One reason for the declining popularity of public service is the low salary, but change does not seem easy."
When Private Sector Earns 1 Million Won, Public Officials Earn 820,000 Won... Calls for Wage Increase
The two major public servant unions held a press conference in front of the Yongsan Presidential Office on the morning of the 22nd. [Photo by Yonhap News]
Meanwhile, according to a public-private wage level survey released on April 5, last year’s public official wages compared to the private sector hit a record low of 82.3%.
Furthermore, when comparing only general public officials (550,000 people) excluding police, firefighters, and teachers among the total 1.2 million public officials, the wage level dropped further to just 74.6%.
This means that if private companies (with 100 or more employees) pay 1 million won, general public officials receive less than 750,000 won.
As dissatisfaction with public official wages grows, the two major public servant unions demanded a 377,000 won increase in next year’s salaries, stating, "Consumer prices have risen by 5.1%, but public official wages have only increased by 1.7%, threatening livelihoods."
They also requested an 80,000 won increase in the fixed monthly meal allowance for public officials, which is currently 140,000 won.
Currently, the meal allowance is about 6,360 won per day based on 22 working days per month, roughly half of the average lunch price of 12,000 won for office workers in Seoul in the fourth quarter of last year.
The public servant unions also demanded a 35,000 won increase in the allowance for ranks below level 6 and the application of the Labor Standards Act to annual leave compensation.
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