20,000 Applicants for Firefighter Recruitment... Competition Ratio Reaches 10 to 1

Average Age 28... Youngest Applicant 17
Open Competitive Exam 14 to 1, Experienced Competitive Exam 7.3 to 1
69.9% in Their 20s... Oldest Applicant 44

This year, a total of over 20,000 applicants applied for the firefighter recruitment, recording an average competition rate of 10.5 to 1. The average age of applicants was 28, with some as young as 17 applying.

According to the National Fire Agency on the 31st, a total of 20,142 applicants applied for 1,927 firefighter positions during the five-day application period from the 17th to the 21st of last month for the 2025 firefighter recruitment exam.

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The competition rate by recruitment category was 14 to 1 for the open competitive recruitment exam, with 12,672 applicants for 906 positions, and 7.3 to 1 for the experienced competitive recruitment exam, with 7,470 applicants for 1,021 positions.

The region with the highest competition rate in the open competitive recruitment exam was Busan, with 833 applicants for 34 positions, recording a 23 to 1 ratio. In the experienced competitive recruitment exam, the firefighting-related department (male) had the highest competition rate, with 696 applicants for 35 positions, showing a 19.9 to 1 ratio.

The average age of applicants was 28, with 69.9% in their 20s, 28.2% in their 30s, 1.4% in their teens, and 0.5% in their 40s. The youngest applicant was 17 years old, and the oldest was 44 years old.

The written exam was held on March 29 at 51 test centers across 17 cities and provinces nationwide. From 2 PM on April 21, scores will be released and objections accepted, with the written exam passers announced on April 24. The physical fitness test will be conducted according to schedules set by each city and province from April 28 to May 16, and the interview exam will be held from June 9 to 13. The final successful candidates will be announced on July 18, reflecting 50% of the written exam score, 25% of the physical fitness test score, and 25% of the interview exam score.