What do you think about the profession of a public official these days? In the past, it was called an ‘iron rice bowl’ and was synonymous with a stable job.
But honestly, even just looking at my surroundings, it seems fewer friends are as desperate for the public official exam as before.
To be frank, I feel that the status of public officials has changed a lot as times have changed.
I’d like to honestly share what I’ve researched and felt about the reality of public officials in 2026.
Even with Salary Increases, Competition Rates ‘Fluctuate’? The Changing Status of Public Officials
Honestly, when you think of public officials, the first thing that comes to mind after ‘stability’ was ‘low pay’.
But I recently saw news that public official salaries in 2026 will see their largest increase in 9 years.
In particular, to improve the treatment of junior public officials, those in grades 7-9 will receive an additional 3.1% on top of the basic 3.5% increase, totaling a 6.6% raise.
For a Grade 9, Step 1 official, this means an annual salary of 34.28 million won, or about 2.86 million won per month, which seems pretty good, right?
However, despite these increases, the application rate for the public official exam is slightly declining.
Of course, the competition rate itself is still high at 28.6 to 1, and it continues to rise compared to last year.
Personally, I wonder if salary increases alone are not enough to fully meet the expectations of the younger generation.
These days, there are many values considered more important than simply earning a lot of money.
Dreaming of ‘Work-Life Balance’… But Reality Isn’t Easy?
One of the most important things for MZ generation when choosing a job is ‘work-life balance’.
The government seems to be aware of this change and is making various attempts to innovate work in the public sector.
For example, there are things like this:
- Expansion of remote work: They are trying to change the work style from ‘workplace-centric’ to ‘task-centric’.
- Improvement of reporting culture: They are introducing a ’15-minute time system’ to limit reporting time to within 15 minutes and expanding non-face-to-face reporting to allow focus on core tasks.
Honestly, I think these changes are welcome.
But unfortunately, there was news recently that a public official in their 30s was found dead at home in Cheonan.
Reports that they worked until midnight the day before their death showed that many people in the field are still suffering from excessive workload.
In my opinion, while systemic changes are important, reducing the actual workload in the field is a more urgent issue.
Pension Reform, an Unfinished Homework
One of the big reasons for choosing the profession of a public official was the ‘reliable pension’.
But this public official pension continues to be a hot potato.
There was a reform in 2015, and at that time, the contribution burden increased, and the payment rate decreased.
In fact, the public official pension fund is already depleted and is operated annually with government subsidies.
Last year, over 8.6 trillion won in subsidies were injected, and this year, it is projected to exceed 10 trillion won.
As a result, issues of fairness with the national pension are continuously being raised.
Personally, I believe that public official pension reform is not just a problem for public officials, but a necessary task for the sustainable development of our entire society.
Of course, it won’t be an easy problem, but we need to find a reasonable solution.
Is Being a Public Official Still an Attractive Profession?
I’ve talked about various realities of public officials today.
In fact, I think being a public official can still be an attractive profession for many people.
However, it seems we’ve entered an era where it’s difficult to approach it with the sole illusion of an ‘iron rice bowl’ as in the past.
It has become a profession that requires careful consideration of various factors, including not only stability but also salary, work-life balance, and pension.
I will continue to pay attention to how the profession of a public official will develop in the future.
