'Super-Fast Promotion' Chungju Man Says, "Now Is the Opportunity as Popularity Hits Rock Bottom... I Would Still Choose to Be a Civil Servant"

Officer Kim Seontae: "Now Is the Best Time to Buy In at the Bottom"
"I Would Choose to Be a Civil Servant Again"

Kim Seontae, known as 'Chungju Man' and the operator of the official YouTube channel for Chungju City, encouraged job seekers to apply for civil servant positions, stating, "Now is the perfect timing to buy low on a civil service career."

'Chungju Man' Kim Seontae, Officer. YouTube 'Mimiminu' Capture

The educational YouTube channel 'Mimiminu' released an interview video on January 11, featuring Officer Kim discussing the civil service as a career. In the video, Kim highlighted the advantages of being a civil servant, saying, "It's stable. Your status is fundamentally guaranteed, and your salary is predictable." He also pointed out that one of the benefits of local government positions is that you can work close to your place of residence.

He also disclosed his annual salary. He said, "I'm a level 6 administrative officer with 10 years of experience, and my promotions have been relatively fast, so it's hard to make a general comparison," adding, "If I combine everything, my pre-tax salary is about 57 million won." He continued, "It might seem like a lot, but prices have risen dramatically," and explained, "I started university in 2005, and if an annual salary of 50 million won was considered high back then, now it would be over 100 million won." He added, "It's manageable for me, but the problem is for lower-level civil servants. Those who joined recently have very low salaries," and noted, "Compared to inflation, salaries haven't increased much."

He also shared his thoughts on the recent decline in competition for civil service positions due to issues such as working conditions. Kim said, "The popularity of civil service jobs has dropped significantly," explaining, "It's not just about the income; it's because issues like dealing with complaints from the public have become widely known." He went on, "With cut-off scores dropping and many positions left unfilled, is this really good for the public?" and warned, "It could have a negative impact on the organization as a whole. As popularity declines, morale drops and talented individuals are less likely to join."

'Chungju Man' Kim Seontae, Officer. YouTube 'Mimiminu' Capture

Nevertheless, Kim stated, "That's why I think now is the low point," and added, "The cost-effectiveness has improved." He said, "If my own children were uncertain, I would have them start early civil service training from middle school," and advised, "If you find it difficult to succeed through the college entrance exam, or if you're unsure, have no particular dreams, and want stability, you should start preparing early." He further explained, "It's better to become a level 9 civil servant at age 20 or 21 than to become a level 7 at age 30."

When asked, "Would you choose to be a civil servant again if you were born again?" Kim replied, "I would." However, he added, "I think I would get tired of doing YouTube work again," and joked, "If I could choose my department, I would like to join the HR team. If I were the king of Chungju, the HR team would be the gods of Chungju City Hall."

Finally, he offered advice to civil service exam candidates: "I know it's tough. I didn't expect it to be this hard when I was preparing," and advised, "You need to finish in a short period. It's not about preparing for two or three years; you have to give it your all in the last four to five months."

Known as 'Chungju Man,' Officer Kim has led local promotions with witty videos and is recognized as a figure who changed the YouTube trends of local governments nationwide. The Chungju City YouTube channel he operates has 965,000 subscribers. Appointed as a level 9 civil servant in 2016, he was promoted to level 6 in just seven years due to his outstanding abilities, later taking on a team leader role. While it typically takes more than 15 years for a basic local government official to be promoted from level 9 to level 6, Kim made headlines by cutting that period by more than half.