Daegu City Abolishes Residency Requirement for Civil Service Exam... Surge in Applicants from the Seoul Metropolitan Area Expected

Maintaining Metropolitan Area Requirements Nationwide

"Strong Opposition Expected from Local Youth"

Daegu City announced on the 21st that, starting in 2025, it will become the first metropolitan government in the country to abolish the existing residency requirement for new civil servant recruitment exams.

This measure is aimed at overcoming regional exclusivity and enhancing openness in the public sector. It is seen as part of a series of policies under the 8th popularly elected administration to restore Daegu's status as one of the three major cities on the Korean Peninsula and to strengthen its competitiveness for the next 50 years.

However, there is expected to be strong backlash from local youth in Daegu, as young people from the Seoul metropolitan area, including Seoul, Gyeonggi, and Incheon, may apply to Daegu, where the passing scores are relatively lower.

Daegu City Hall Dongin Office Building

Until now, in order to take the open competitive (including career competitive) exam for civil servant appointments in Daegu, applicants were required to either reside in Daegu on the day of the exam or have lived in Daegu for more than three years in the past. This requirement has been commonly applied to all local governments except Seoul.

By becoming the first among metropolitan cities and provinces to abolish the residency requirement, Daegu City expects that talented individuals from across the country who aspire to public service will flow into the region. Through this, the public sector is expected to take the lead in breaking down the exclusivity that has hindered Daegu's development, infusing new vitality into the region, and securing diversity and competitiveness.

Daegu Mayor Hong Joonpyo said, "By opening Daegu's public sector to outstanding talent nationwide and escaping the confines of a closed community, we will overcome regional exclusivity, enhance competitiveness, and lay the foundation for Daegu to reemerge as one of the three major cities on the Korean Peninsula."