'18 vs. 58': Gyeongsangbuk-do Provincial Government Announces 1,698 Final Passers in Local Government Civil Service Exam

[Financial News, Andong—Kim Jang-wook] 'Youngest: 18, oldest: 58!'
The Gyeongsangbuk-do Provincial Government announced the names of 1,698 final passers in the 2026 first open competitive examination for local government officials.
The examination consisted of a written test, a personality and aptitude assessment, an interview, and an additional in-depth interview. After rigorous screening, the final passers were selected from among the 1,994 candidates who passed the written test.
Kim Sang-cheol, head of the Safety and Administration Office, emphasized, "We hope you will grow into public officials trusted by residents, with pride and a sense of mission that you are responsible for the future of Gyeongsangbuk-do."
Successful candidates were selected across 20 occupational series and 30 job categories, including 724 for ninth-grade administrative positions. Through separate-category recruitment, 42 candidates passed, including 22 people with disabilities and 20 from low-income backgrounds.
The average age was 30. By age group, five were under 20, 970 were aged 20–29 (57.1%), 569 were aged 30–39 (33.5%), 131 were aged 40–49 (7.7%), and 23 were aged 50 or older (1.4%).
Although people in their 20s and 30s accounted for a large share of the successful candidates, people aged 40 and older also passed, demonstrating continued entry into public service across a wide range of age groups.
In particular, the youngest successful candidate was an 18-year-old man born in 2008 who applied for a ninth-grade administrative position in Yeongju. The oldest was a 58-year-old woman born in 1968 who applied for a ninth-grade social welfare position in Pohang.
By gender, 946 successful candidates were women (55.7%) and 752 were men (44.3%). The proportion of female successful candidates was 4.7 percentage points higher than the 51% average recorded over the past five years. Under the gender-equality hiring target system, 13 additional men passed—seven more than the number of additional women who passed.
The final passers will register as candidates for appointment before participating in training for new appointees. After completing the training, they will be assigned to institutions including the provincial government and city and county governments, beginning their careers in public service.
[email protected] Kim Jang-wook Reporter