[Exclusive] Aerospace Administration Officials and Foreign Recruitment Also 'Popular'... Competition Rate About 10 to 1

5th Grade and Below Domestic Career Recruitment Sees 16:1 Competition Ratio with Continuous Applicant Influx
Senior Officials and Foreigners to be Selected Through Interviews in June
1st Grade Mission Headquarters Chief to Receive Presidential-Level Salary

The competition rate for executive-level and foreign (including dual nationals) staff selection at the Korean-style 'NASA' Aerospace Administration, set to open on the 27th of next month, also recorded double digits.

The recruitment briefing session for the Space Aviation Agency staff held on March 19 at the Seoul Science and Technology Center was crowded with attendees. Photo by Baek Jongmin

According to the Ministry of Science and ICT on the 15th, the number of applicants for the recruitment demand survey for executive-level positions including headquarters chief, division chief, program chief, and positions below grade 5, which closed at 5 p.m. that day, slightly exceeded about 10 times the number of openings. This demand survey allowed foreigners, including dual nationals, to apply.

This indicates that significant support was made for executive-level recruitment following the competition rate exceeding 16:1 in the earlier closed competitive recruitment exam for general term-limited public officials at grades 5, 6, and 7. However, it has not yet been confirmed how many outstanding candidates applied for the key executive positions.

Recruitment for executive-level and foreign (including dual nationals) positions will be conducted on a rolling basis through demand surveys. The Ministry of Science and ICT has recognized the need to hire overseas nationals or dual nationals with experience in space fields such as NASA. Minister Lee Jong-ho of the Ministry of Science and ICT also mentioned that foreigners, including dual nationals, will be hired if necessary.

The key executive positions to be hired through the demand survey include one grade 1 Mission Headquarters Chief, followed by grade 2 positions such as Head of Space Transportation Division, Head of Satellite Division, Head of Space Science Exploration Division, and Head of Aviation Innovation Division. The Mission Support Director is a grade 3 position, and six program chiefs by division are grade 4 positions. However, if no suitable candidate is found, the position will not be filled.

The government has set exceptional salaries for the Aerospace Administration executives. The headquarters chief receives 250 million KRW, equivalent to the presidential level, and division chiefs receive 140 million KRW, equivalent to vice-ministerial level. The grade 3 Mission Support Director receives between 120 million and 140 million KRW, and grade 4 program chiefs receive between 110 million and 130 million KRW. Salaries for senior researchers (grade 5) and researchers (grades 6 and 7) are set at levels similar to general term-limited public officials. The grade 6 annual salary can reach up to 100 million KRW.

Compensation for these positions may be set higher than the presented levels if deemed necessary by the Aerospace Administration chief.

The contract period for program chiefs at grade 4 and above is basically 3 years, with extensions possible up to 10 years. For grade 5 and below, the basic contract is 5 years, extendable up to 10 years.

The Ministry of Science and ICT’s Aerospace Administration Establishment Promotion Team plans to appoint executive-level public officials and foreign applicants through interviews in June following document screening. They will be deployed to their missions after the Aerospace Administration opens. Recruitment for general term-limited Korean public officials is currently narrowed down to three times the number of openings after document screening, with interviews scheduled for the 18th and 19th. The final successful candidates will be announced on May 10.