Jump in New Employee Resignations...Public Officials Federation Demands 7.1% Salary Increase

"Treatment at Only 83.9% of Private Sector"
Calls for Improvement at Blue House Press Conference

The Federation of Korean Government Employees’ Unions under the Federation of Korean Trade Unions (Chairman: Donggeun Shin) held a press conference in front of the Blue House on July 10, demanding a 7.1% increase in public officials’ salaries for 2027 and the legalization of the Public Officials Salary Committee.

At the press conference held at the fountain in front of the Blue House on the 10th, titled 'Press Conference to Urge Realistic Salary Adjustment for 1.3 Million Public Officials and Teachers,' Shin Dong-geun, chairman of the Public Officials Federation, called for salary increases and the legalization of the Public Officials Salary Committee to prevent the loss of young public officials and the collapse of the public sector. Provided by the Public Officials Federation.

The press conference, held in the morning, was organized jointly with the Public Officials and Public Sector Livelihood Rights Struggle Committee of the Federation of Korean Trade Unions and was supported by public sector unions such as the Education Federation, Teachers' Union Federation, National Police Workplace Council, and Korea Post Union.

According to the Federation, the proportion of newly appointed public officials who resign has risen from 17.1% in 2019 to 23.7% in 2023. The number of young public officials who left within five years of appointment has nearly doubled over the past five years. The Federation explained that, according to a survey by the Ministry of Personnel Management, the main reasons for the avoidance of public office and early resignation are lower salaries compared to the private sector. Currently, the salary level for public officials is 83.9% that of private sector workplaces with 100 or more employees.

Chairman Donggeun Shin stated, "Public sector workers are protecting the lives of citizens at service counters, in welfare, and at disaster sites, but their own livelihoods are being pushed to the brink," adding, "We are asking to guarantee at least the minimum right to a livelihood so that young public officials no longer leave the public sector."

The Federation explained that the proposed 7.1% salary increase was calculated by combining the 2027 economic growth rate forecast of 1.9% and the Consumer Price Index forecast of 2.0%, with an additional 3.2% for this year to gradually close the wage gap with the private sector over five years. Chairman Shin pointed out that the current Public Officials Salary Committee faces structural limitations as its review and resolutions are not reflected in the government’s budget proposal, and called on the government and the National Assembly to legislate the committee with binding legal authority.

Dongmyung Kim, Chairman of the Federation of Korean Trade Unions, said, "In order to protect the right to a livelihood for workers pushed to the edge, it is not only the minimum wage that must be raised—public officials’ salaries cannot be an exception," pledging to strengthen solidarity actions.

The participating organizations delivered six key demands to the government: a total 7.1% increase in public officials’ salaries for 2027, a monthly increase of 35,000 won in job grade allowance for level 6 and below, the abolishment of the reduction rate for overtime pay, a monthly increase of 40,000 won in fixed meal allowances, a 10% increase in seniority allowances by job grade, and the establishment of a legally binding salary determination structure for public officials.

The Federation declared, "The era of demanding sacrifice simply because someone is a public official must end," and emphasized, "We will continue our strong struggle until the value of public sector work is properly recognized and the public sector is set right."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.