"Can't Endure Until Retirement" MZ Public Officials Resigning, What's the Reason?

"Heavy Burden of Handover and Citizen Complaints but Low Compensation"
Continuous Increase in New Civil Servant Retirement Rate Over the Past 5 Years
"Need for Whole-Government Response, Not Just Personnel Departments"

"With constantly changing responsibilities, seniors disappearing to other departments after only a few hours of handover, and complainants demanding 'why can't you solve this right now,' it's an environment where one can't help but feel doubtful about their own work ability. Compared to these concerns, the socioeconomic rewards feel insufficient, leading me to consider resignation."

Choi (27), a third-year public servant, is preparing to quit the job she worked hard to get. Although she feels the effort spent on exam preparation is wasted and worries about finding another job, Choi explains, "I just don't think I can endure until retirement." Since last year, she has obtained basic certifications such as TOEIC and computer proficiency tests to prepare for employment in the private sector.

The number of public servants resigning shortly after joining is increasing. According to the "Increase in Resignations of Newly Appointed Public Servants" report published on the 7th by the National Assembly Legislative Research Office, the proportion of resignations by newly appointed public servants among all public servant resignations has steadily increased from 17.1% in 2019 to 23.7% in 2023.

Last year, the number of public servants with less than five years of service who resigned was 13,566. This number has steadily increased from 6,500 in 2019, 9,009 in 2020, 10,426 in 2021, and 13,032 in 2022. By years of service, those with 1 to 3 years had the highest resignation numbers. Last year, 3,020 resigned within less than one year of service, 5,629 between 1 and 3 years, and 4,917 between 3 and 5 years.

The main reason public servants decide to resign shortly after joining is cited as "low salary." According to the 2022 Public Service Life Survey, 74.1% of public servants with less than five years of service selected "low salary" as their reason for wanting to leave, ranking first. Previously, public servant pensions and various allowances were considered to supplement the low salary, but younger public servants now feel anxious that pensions will not guarantee their retirement security. Kim (31), a public servant with five years of service, said, "During COVID-19-related work, although there were efficient work methods, they just assigned tasks by rotating personnel without proper compensation, which caused significant dissatisfaction."

Legislative Researcher Jo Jong-oh emphasized, "The increase in resignations among newly appointed public servants is not merely a labor force issue but an important matter related to the overall operation of the state. It requires a response not only from the personnel department but at the whole-government level."