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Fewer study for civil service exam as job security loses out to stress, low pay

Published: 25 Aug. 2025, 13:14 Updated: 25 Aug. 2025, 17:33

Members of the Korean Government Employees’ Union hold a press conference in front of the presidential office in Yongsan District, central Seoul, on Aug. 8, calling on the government to strengthen its measures against abusive civil complaints. [YONHAP]

Fewer young Koreans are studying for civil service exams, as the once-coveted path to job security loses its appeal in the face of low pay, workplace stress and rigid hierarchies.

New government data shows that just 129,000 people aged 20 to 34 are preparing for public sector roles this year as of May — less than half the number from four years ago. These include civil service exams for police, firefighters and civilian military roles, according to data released by the Korean Statistical Information Service on Monday.

That marks a drop of 30,000 from last year and is the lowest figure since data collection began in 2017.

The number of test-takers gradually declined from 306,000 in 2017 but briefly surged to 268,000 in 2020 as Covid-19 spread. In 2021, it peaked at 313,000. Since then, the number has plummeted to 239,000 in 2022, 214,000 in 2023 and 159,000 in 2024. The latest figure represents a more than 50 percent decrease from the 2021 high.

A similar trend is visible across other competitive exams. The number of applicants preparing for high-level civil service exams, as well as professional licenses such as those for patent attorneys and accountants, fell from 105,000 in 2021 to 81,000 this year. Teacher certification exam applicants dropped from 40,000 in 2020 to 24,000 in 2024. Those preparing for state-owned companies or media jobs also declined from 117,000 in 2020 to 83,000 last year, although the figure rebounded slightly to 92,000 this year.

In contrast, the number of young people preparing to work in the private sector continues to rise. A record 230,000 young job seekers said they were targeting private companies such as conglomerates and small- and medium-sized enterprises — up 41,000 from the previous year.

Overall, the total number of young Koreans preparing for any employment exam rose by 19,000 to 674,000 this year.

An emergency response drill for dealing with aggressive civil complaints takes place at the civil service department on the first floor of the Dong District Office in Gwangju on Aug. 22. [NEWS1]

Declining interest in public service is being driven by a combination of factors, including low salaries, the stress of dealing with aggressive civil complaints and the hierarchical nature of government offices.

In a 2023 survey by the Ministry of Personnel Management, 88.3 percent of respondents cited “lower pay compared to the private sector” as the top reason for reduced interest in civil service careers.

Other leading reasons were stress from civil complaints, at 39.8 percent, and rigid workplace hierarchies at 15.9 percent.

In a separate public poll, 62.9 percent cited low pay and 53.7 percent cited complaint-related stress.

The government raised civil servant salaries by 3 percent this year — the largest hike in eight years. But critics argue that the increase still falls short when considering accumulated inflation and widening pay gaps with the private sector. Recent salary hikes were 2.6 percent in 2018, 1.8 percent in 2019 and 2.8 percent in 2020. During the Covid pandemic from 2021 to 2023, annual increases remained under 1 percent.

The government plans to include next year’s salary adjustments for public servants in its upcoming national budget proposal.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY JEONG JAE-HONG [[email protected]]