Competition for local Grade 7 civil service jobs plunges by half... Written exam on the 31st

[Financial News]  
The number of local government Grade 7 civil service positions being filled this year has more than doubled from last year, bringing the competition ratio down to about half. The number of applicants edged up, but the sharp increase in positions available was the main factor. The Ministry of the Interior and Safety said on the 28th that written examinations for open and career-based competitive recruitment of Grade 7 local government officials, among other exams, will be held simultaneously on the 31st in 16 cities and provinces nationwide.
According to the ministry, 570 local government Grade 7 positions are slated to be filled this year, up by 303 (113.5%) from 267 last year. Over the same period, applicants increased by just 582 (3.0%), from 19,091 to 19,673. As a result, the competition ratio fell from 71.5:1 last year to 34.5:1 this year.
The competition ratios for local government Grade 7 positions over the past five years were 64.3:1 in 2022, 72.2:1 in 2023, 70.9:1 in 2024 and 71.5:1 in 2025. This year's ratio is the lowest in the past five years. However, since the number of applicants itself has not declined, it is difficult to conclude that the lower ratio reflects waning interest in civil service jobs.
Hiring this year was concentrated in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province. Of the 498 positions to be filled through open competitive recruitment for Grade 7 posts, Seoul accounted for 272 and Gyeonggi for 141, with the two areas making up about 83% of the total. Seoul received 11,069 applications, for a competition ratio of 40.7:1, while Gyeonggi received 2,651, for a ratio of 18.8:1.
Daegu had the highest regional competition ratio, at 129:1. Although only five positions were available, 645 people applied. North Chungcheong Province also recorded a ratio of 120.5:1, with 241 applicants for two positions, while South Chungcheong Province had a ratio of 90.7:1, with 272 applicants for three positions. The pattern is that competition ratios tend to be higher in regions with fewer positions available.
By contrast, Gyeonggi's competition ratio was relatively low at 18.8:1. In Incheon, 10 people applied for nine Grade 7 positions filled through career-based competitive recruitment, for a ratio of 1.1:1. However, Incheon used career-based rather than open competitive recruitment, making direct comparisons with other regions' open recruitment ratios difficult.
Applicants in their 30s made up the largest age group. Among Grade 7 applicants, 8,383 were aged 30 to 39, accounting for 42.6% of the total. There were 8,071 applicants aged 20 to 29 (41.0%) and 2,757 aged 40 to 49 (14.0%). By gender, 10,724 applicants were women (54.5%) and 8,949 were men (45.5%).
In addition to Grade 7 exams, this round also includes recruitment exams for research and guidance positions and career-based competitive recruitment for Grades 8 and 9. A total of 1,893 positions are slated to be filled, with 27,235 applicants, for an average competition ratio of 14.4:1.
For research and guidance positions, 4,567 people applied for 343 positions, a ratio of 13.3:1, slightly lower than last year's 14.2:1. The Grade 9 career-based competitive recruitment open to graduates and prospective graduates of technical high schools drew 707 applicants for 382 positions, a ratio of 1.9:1. Career-based competitive recruitment for certain Grade 8 and 9 job series, including industrial and driving positions, received 2,288 applications for 598 positions, a ratio of 3.8:1.
Applicants should check the test venue announcement posted on the website of the relevant city or province before the exam. Information provided for each region includes the test venue, admission time, items to bring and rules for test takers. Written exam results are scheduled to be announced on the respective city and provincial websites in November.
[email protected] Lee Bomi Reporter