[Gangnam Perspective] Why Are Specialized Civil Servants Resigning in Droves?

The Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA) is leading a shift in the civil service personnel system by introducing a culture centered on expertise and a bold personnel system to recruit top talent and provide an independent research environment. As the era of artificial intelligence (AI) government arrives, the strategic management of specialized civil servants in the public sector has become essential. Their capabilities and how they are managed are now seen as key factors that will shape the future of the civil service. However, critics say the existing personnel system, which remains centered on general administrative officials, does not fully reflect the unique nature of these jobs. Low pay and a rigid organizational culture are also preventing specialized staff from integrating into and adapting to their workplaces. As a result, the exodus and resignations of specialized civil servants are accelerating. The phenomenon has been described as the 'paradox of expertise,' in which turnover rises as specialization increases. Experts say it reflects the tendency of highly skilled workers to actively seek opportunities outside the organization when the internal environment does not support their expertise. They argue that a tailored policy response is needed to manage talent in specialized civil service roles.
The government is pushing ahead with a national priority called 'Realizing the World's Best AI Democratic Government,' which aims to integrate data and AI, both core elements of national competitiveness, into all areas of state administration. Even so, resignations and job changes within the public sector continue to rise steadily. According to data from the Government Employees Pension Service, the number of retirees jumped from 47,319 in 2020 to 56,781 in 2025, while the retirement rate reached 4.4 percent. In the Public Officials Survey conducted by the Korea Institute of Public Administration (KIPA), the share of respondents who said they would change jobs if given the chance remained high at 45.1 percent in 2022 and 43.0 percent in 2024. The figures show that departures from the civil service are becoming increasingly common.
The current civil service personnel system is widely seen as having been designed around general administrative officials with broad, transferable skills. As a result, it does not adequately reflect the specialized duties and distinct needs of highly trained professional staff. For specialized civil servants, factors beyond financial compensation, such as an environment that values expertise and encourages collaboration, are key to organizational loyalty. In general, they show stronger commitment to public service and a greater willingness to settle in when their expertise makes a real contribution to policy-making and when the organization fosters organic teamwork.
The reality has been different. Despite efforts to hire specialized staff, their departures and job changes are nothing new. Their average tenure has also been short, often less than five years. There are many reasons they leave, including low pay and difficulty adapting to the organizational culture. Unlike ordinary civil servants, they are especially sensitive to leadership style and perceptions of fairness within the organization. Although they often begin with a strong sense of mission, they soon experience psychological pressure and alienation in a rigid culture that does not respect expertise and lacks a collaborative system. That is driving a sharp increase in exits from public service.
Yeom Ji-seon, head of the Government Data Survey Center at KIPA, said, "A collaborative and communicative environment serves as a powerful structural mechanism for helping specialized staff settle in and strengthens organizational cohesion, showing more than twice the turnover-reduction effect seen among general administrative officials." She added, "This suggests the need to introduce more precise, targeted personnel policies, including specialized resilience support, the building of an organic collaboration infrastructure, and diversified career development paths for experts." She noted that while the work framework for civil servants is changing rapidly in the AI era, the existing administrative system is failing to keep pace. As a result, it is becoming an obstacle not only for specialized staff but also for ordinary civil servants.
Recently, the government has introduced the Expert Civil Servant System and Grade 5 fast-track promotion, while also pushing major personnel reforms such as abolishing salary caps to attract private-sector talent. In particular, it has made the cultivation of specialized civil servants who will serve for at least seven years in AI, international trade, and labor inspection a key goal. The plan to draw in private-sector experts by removing salary caps for bureau and division chiefs may help, but success remains uncertain. Above all, the urgent task is to build a civil service personnel system based on capability and performance.
ktitk@fnnews.com Reporter