Jihwan Jo of Changwon Special City Becomes Nation’s Youngest Professional Engineer of Architectural Electrical Facilities

The Result of Four Years of Diligent Study:
Achieving the Highest National Technical Qualification at Age 26

Changwon Special City in South Gyeongsang Province has made headlines as it produced the nation’s youngest successful candidate for the Professional Engineer of Architectural Electrical Facilities exam.

Jihwan Jo, Officer of Changwon Special City.

Jihwan Jo, an officer (Grade 7, age 26) working in the Sewerage Facilities Division of the Changwon Sewerage Office, passed the 137th Professional Engineer exam administered by the Human Resources Development Service of Korea, becoming the youngest person ever to earn the Professional Engineer of Architectural Electrical Facilities certification in this field.

The Professional Engineer of Architectural Electrical Facilities is the highest-level qualification in the electrical field, awarded to experts with advanced knowledge and practical experience. As of 2024, the pass rate stands at only about 1.6%, making it extremely difficult to pass, even for seasoned professionals. Passing this exam in one’s twenties is an exceptionally rare achievement.

Jihwan Jo, who began his public service career in 2017 and is currently responsible for the maintenance and management of electrical and mechanical equipment at sewage relay pumping stations, has become a role model for his colleagues by dedicating his evenings and weekends over the past four years to intensive study in order to enhance his professional expertise.

Jihwan Jo stated, "I will continue to strive to provide safe and efficient public services to citizens by utilizing the specialized knowledge I gained while preparing for the professional engineer exam."

Lee Jongdeok, Director of the Sewerage Office, commented, "I am proud of Jihwan Jo for his dedication to self-development despite a busy workload," adding, "We will actively encourage a culture of strengthening professional capabilities within the organization so that this achievement can serve as an opportunity to improve the quality of sewerage administration services."