"Grade 6 Civil Servant Annual Salary Reaches 100 Million Won... Could Decrease" Hundreds Attend Space Aviation Agency Recruitment Briefing Session

Grade 1 earns 250 million KRW, but Grade 5 can make up to 110 million KRW
"It could increase further"
Recruitment briefings attract crowds
Industry closely watches the impact

General term-limited public officials preparing for the establishment of the Space Aviation Agency are expected to receive salaries within the top 20% of the same industry. Hundreds of people are flocking to each recruitment briefing session with the expectation of receiving higher-than-anticipated wages.

On the 19th, a slide showing the salary levels was displayed at the Space Agency recruitment briefing held at the Science and Technology Center in Gangnam-gu, Seoul.

The second recruitment briefing session for general term-limited public officials, held by the Ministry of Science and ICT's Space Aviation Agency Establishment Promotion Team on the 19th at the Seoul Science and Technology Center, was attended by so many people that there were not enough seats. This is interpreted as being due not only to the national interest in the establishment of the Space Aviation Agency but also because the salaries are quite substantial.

No Kyung-won, Director of Research Policy at the Ministry of Science and ICT, explained on the 20th, "The salaries of Space Aviation Agency employees are aligned with the top 20% level of companies in the same industry." This serves as compensation for the lack of residential conditions and the considerable workload expected during the agency's initial phase.

On the afternoon of the 19th, Noh Kyung-won, Director of the Research and Development Policy Office at the Ministry of Science and ICT, delivered a greeting at the Space Aviation Agency recruitment briefing held at the Korea Science and Technology Center in Gangnam-gu, Seoul.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

On the afternoon of the 19th, attendees are listening to the opening remarks of Noh Kyung-won, Director of the Research and Development Policy Office at the Ministry of Science and ICT, during the Space Aviation Agency recruitment briefing held at the Korea Science and Technology Center in Gangnam-gu, Seoul.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

The highest annual salary is received by the Grade 1 Mission Headquarters Chief, who earns 250 million KRW, equivalent to the President's level, but the salaries for Grade 5 senior researchers and Grade 6 and 7 researchers are also relatively high. Grade 5 can earn up to 110 million KRW, Grade 6 between 70 million and 100 million KRW, and Grade 7 between 60 million and 90 million KRW. Eom Ki-cheol, head of recruitment at the Space Aviation Agency Establishment Promotion Team, explained, "We may pay more considering the difficulty of the job and the previous salary level at the applicant's former workplace." Although this includes allowances and performance bonuses beyond the base salary, it is still a considerable amount. Because of this, some attendees inquired whether they could apply for lower positions than their current career level.

Industry insiders who have seen the salary levels also consider the pay to be high, although they note that the harsh conditions and temporary incentives should be taken into account. A representative from Hanwha Aerospace said, "The salary offered by the Space Aviation Agency is on the higher side."

Lee Jae-hyung, head of the Space Aviation Agency Establishment Promotion Team, said, "The response has been extraordinary, with many people attending each briefing," and expressed expectations that competition will become fierce due to the large number of applicants.

While the space aviation industry is concerned about a wave of resignations, there is also a forecast that job transfers will not be as large as expected due to the nature of term-limited positions. The Space Aviation Agency allows employees to work for five years, with a possible extension of up to ten years.

The briefing session will be held once more on the 22nd at KAIST in Daejeon. The Ministry of Science and ICT will accept applications until the 25th and announce the final successful candidates on May 10.