Popularity of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Plummets... Grade 7 Foreign Service Consul Exam Competition Rate Halved in Three Years

The competition rate for the Grade 7 Foreign Service Consul position, which the Ministry of Foreign Affairs recruits for annually, has dropped by nearly half over the past three years.

According to data submitted by Representative Hong Giwon of the National Assembly’s Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee, obtained from the Ministry of Personnel Management on September 24, the competition rate for this year’s Grade 7 Foreign Service Consul (national civil service) exam was 66.2 to 1, which is only half of the 120.9 to 1 recorded in 2022. In contrast, the overall competition rate for all Grade 7 national civil service exams increased from 42.7 to 1 in 2022 to 44.6 to 1 during the same period.

The competition rate for the Grade 5 Diplomatic Candidate (national civil service) exam also fell, from 42.8 to 1 in 2022 to 36.2 to 1 in 2025. For Grade 5 national civil service exams overall, the competition rate declined from 37.9 to 1 to 34.4 to 1. Traditionally, the diplomatic candidate exam has shown a higher competition rate than the general Grade 5 national civil service exam, but in just the past few years, this gap has narrowed considerably, making the rates almost similar.

This is interpreted as a sign that the status of "diplomat," once considered a highly desirable career, has been steadily declining. Despite the expansion of fields where diplomatic skills are essential-such as economic security, overseas safety, and cyber security-the Ministry of Foreign Affairs continues to suffer from chronic staffing shortages. Currently, of the 193 overseas missions, more than half (102) have five or fewer staff members. Meanwhile, the number of applicants aspiring to become diplomats or Foreign Service Consuls is also decreasing, making it increasingly difficult to recruit qualified talent. An official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs explained, "As social perceptions of civil servant jobs in general have changed, competition rates for civil service exams have been falling overall. The increased diplomatic workload and the challenges of working at overseas missions may have contributed to the recent decline in competition rates for the diplomatic candidate and Grade 7 Foreign Service Consul exams."

Representative Hong expressed concern, saying, "As the number of overseas Koreans increases, the demand for local services is also rising. The declining competition rate for diplomatic recruitment exams could soon turn into a crisis where we are unable to hire qualified talent in situations that require diplomatic expertise." He added, "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs must work to analyze and identify the causes so that the situation can be improved."