2,367 Firefighters to Be Recruited This Year... Up 440 from Last Year

1,176 for Open Competitive Exam, 1,191 for Career Competitive Exam
Minimum Application Age Standardized at 18 Starting This Year
PSAT to Be Introduced for Officer Candidates from 2028

The number of new firefighter recruits for 2026 has been set at 2,367. This represents an increase of 440 compared to last year, and starting this year, the minimum age requirement for applicants will be standardized at 18 years old.

On January 5, the National Fire Agency announced that it will publish the "2026 Firefighter Recruitment Examination Implementation Plan" through the national civil servant recruitment system.

On the 5th, the National Fire Agency confirmed that the number of new firefighter recruits for 2026 will be 2,367. The photo shows a firefighter inspecting equipment at the Eunpyeong Fire Station in Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News.

The number of new hires planned for this year is 2,367. By recruitment category, 1,176 will be selected through the open competitive examination, which has no restrictions on qualifications, academic background, or work experience, and 1,191 will be selected through the career competitive examination.

The career competitive examination is divided into 15 categories, including 851 for emergency medical services (71.5%), 211 for rescue (17.7%), 72 for fire-related academic majors (6.1%), 13 for information and communications, and 9 for psychological counseling, among others, in order to strengthen on-site response capabilities.

Due to amendments in relevant laws, the recruitment process for firefighters will change starting this year. The minimum age requirement for applicants has been unified at 18 years old, and physical examinations will now only be submitted when registering as a candidate after final acceptance. In addition, the exemption from application fees has been expanded to include those with two or more minor children, and the drug screening component of the firefighter physical examination has been strengthened from two types to six types (methamphetamine, marijuana, ketamine, ecstasy, cocaine, and opium).

Applications will be accepted from 10:00 a.m. on February 2 to 6:00 p.m. on February 6. Starting this year, applications will be submitted through the integrated national civil servant recruitment system, rather than the previous "119 Notice" of the National Fire Agency. The written examination will be held simultaneously nationwide on March 7 at test centers in each city and province, followed by the physical fitness test, document screening, and interviews, with final successful candidates to be announced on May 29.

Meanwhile, in accordance with the revised "Firefighter Appointment Decree" that was promulgated and went into effect on January 1, a mid- to long-term reform of the recruitment system has also been announced. For the selection exam for fire officer candidates to be announced after 2028, the first written test will introduce the Public Service Aptitude Test (PSAT) to assess integrated competencies across humanities and natural sciences, and elective subjects will be eliminated from the second professional subject test. Due to changes in the bonus point system for the firefighter open competitive exam, from the second half of 2027, bonus points for language proficiency and certifications will be abolished, with only the bonus point (1%) for holding a Class 1 large vehicle driver's license remaining.