[2027 Budget Proposal] Government to Add 3,851 Civil Servants... Expanded Staffing for Safety, Patents, and Investigations

Ministry of the Interior and Safety Reflects in 2027 Government Budget Proposal
105 Additional Examiners for Advanced Technology Patent Reviews
215 More Police Investigators Added, Enhanced Maritime Safety

The government has finalized a plan to add 3,851 new national civil servant positions for next year and has reflected this in the budget proposal for the upcoming year. The initiative aims to strengthen organizations and workforce to ensure public safety and gain a global technological edge in cutting-edge industries.

On September 1, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced that it had finalized the number of national civil servants to be increased by regular organizational procedures at a Cabinet meeting, and included it in the 2027 government budget proposal. The final number will be determined after deliberation by the National Assembly in December. Subsequently, the government plans to revise the relevant organizational regulations (Presidential Decree) in the first quarter of next year to implement the changes swiftly, thus improving policy continuity and on-site responsiveness.

The government followed the regular reorganization procedures, reviewing personnel demands from each ministry and finalizing the total increase after a budget review by the Ministry of Economy and Finance. Notably, the focus was on bolstering staff in areas related to public life and safety as the highest priority.

To prevent major industrial accidents and create safer workplaces, the government will expand the labor inspection workforce by 700 personnel — 540 in industrial safety and 160 in labor supervision. From 2025 through 2028, the government plans to appoint a total of 3,050 labor inspectors in phases. Additional staff include three new positions for the Forest Disaster Control Office to respond to wildfires and landslides, three for responding to chemical accidents in industrial complexes, and one dedicated position for prevention and control of zoonotic infectious diseases, all aimed at strengthening the disaster and accident response system.

Protection for vulnerable groups and crime prevention will also be enhanced. Seventy-two new positions will be added for high-risk group probation and electronic monitoring, seventeen for caring for vulnerable groups such as persons with disabilities, and sixty-four for the rehabilitation of drug offenders in probation and correctional facilities. In addition, twenty-six personnel will be added for trade and foreign exchange inspection and investigation, and nine for tracking and recovering overseas assets of delinquent high-value taxpayers, thus improving state responses to unfair and illegal conduct.

A joint rapid response team composed of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the National Fire Agency, and the National Police Agency is departing for Nepal from the departure hall of Terminal 1 at Incheon International Airport. August 27, 2026. Photo by Yonhap News.

To strengthen the management of major national projects involving large budgets, a new National Project Management Officer position will be created, and staffing in advanced industries will be increased to secure global technological competitiveness. Dedicated departments will be established for artificial intelligence (AI) in the defense and land and transportation sectors, or current staffing will be expanded. The number of examiners for advanced technology patents will be dramatically increased by 105, supporting companies in securing core technologies and acquiring leadership in global markets.

Youth policy execution will also be fortified. The Ministry of Health and Welfare will launch the Youth Welfare Policy Division, and the Ministry of Economy and Finance will establish a Youth Policy Strategy Division. Forty-seven investigator posts will be added to the Labor Relations Commission to address Labor Union Act revisions.

On-the-ground policing and maritime safety staffing will also be expanded. The National Police Agency will establish an Investigation Deliberation Officer for two metropolitan/provincial police agencies, and create new investigation divisions at five police stations, adding a total of 215 investigators to meet the rising demand for criminal investigations, especially in drug, cybercrime, and complaints/suit cases. The Korea Coast Guard will add a total of 354 personnel: 222 crew members for 35 new patrol vessels, 12 for establishing a new Central Marine Special Rescue Unit, and 23 for investigating maritime drug crimes, thereby enhancing maritime security and safety capacities.

Marine police officers belonging to the West Sea Coast Guard are conducting marine pollution containment operations.

In the education sector, in response to increased demand for special needs education, a total of 1,139 positions will be added, including special education teachers, non-homeroom staff such as counselors and health professionals, and professors at national universities for essential regional healthcare and advanced sectors.

The government plans to utilize temporary staff for short-term work demands and expand large-scale staffing needs, such as labor inspectors and educational personnel, in stages while considering fiscal conditions. Organizations with reduced functions will redeploy personnel offset by new demands, aiming to enhance organizational efficiency. For example, due to a decrease in the number of trainees, the Hwacheon Branch Office of the Resettlement Support Center for North Korean Defectors has been closed, while an Integrated Support Center was established to provide support for at-risk North Korean households and social integration education.

Yoon Hojoong, Minister of the Interior and Safety, stated, "We have strengthened staffing in life-and-safety fields such as labor and policing as our top priority. At the same time, we will secure national momentum for AI and advanced technology sectors to lead future industries, while continuously promoting organizational efficiency through ongoing organizational evaluation and personnel redeployment."

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