Top Scorer in the 69th Civil Service Exam for Finance and Economics Chooses Planning and Budget Office… 313 New Trainee Grade 5 Officers Start Work Today [Government in]

Motivation for Applying: "The Appeal of Resource Allocation and National Strategic Planning"

Fair Trade Commission Loses Luster as Entry Bar Drops... Financial Services Commission Remains Popular

The Planning and Budget Office has welcomed the top scorer in the financial and economic affairs division of the Grade 5 national civil service examination (also known as the administrative examination). This marks the result of the very first assignment of rookie administrative officers since the reorganization of government agencies, after which the Ministry of Economy and Finance was split into the Ministry of Finance and Economy and the Planning and Budget Office.

Seonghui Kim, Junior Officer at the Ministry of Planning and Budget. Provided by the individual.

According to government sources on September 14, a total of 313 new Grade 5 trainee administrative officers, who completed the 16-week New Administrator Course for the 71st class at the National Human Resources Development Institute in Jincheon, North Chungcheong Province, started work at their assigned ministries for the first time on this day. The assignment to each ministry was determined by combining their rankings for first to third preferred posts, scores from the civil service examination and the training institute, and ministry-specific interviews. After undergoing probation at each ministry, the trainee officers are expected to receive official appointments in May next year.

Kim Sunghwi, the top scorer in the 69th financial and economic affairs division of the civil service examination, made his first official entry at the Planning and Budget Office in Building 5 of the Sejong Government Complex. Born in 1996, Kim graduated from Whimoon High School and studied economics at Seoul National University. He passed the exam on his fourth attempt and chose the Planning and Budget Office as his workplace. In a phone call with The Asia Business Daily, he said, "As an economics major, I value the function of efficient resource allocation, and I liked that I would be able to gain an overall view of various government projects." He added, "Unlike in the mid-2000s, when the Planning and Budget Office was known mainly for its budgeting function, the abbreviation 'Planning Office' signals that the office not only handles budgeting but also carries out mid-to-long-term national strategy planning. This was also a factor in my decision."

In the past, it was an unspoken rule that the top scorer in the financial and economic affairs division would join the Ministry of Strategy and Finance. However, after the 61st top scorer chose the Fair Trade Commission for the first time, a trend followed, with the top scorers in the 64th, 65th, and 67th examinations also opting for the Fair Trade Commission, creating a perception of that agency attracting top talent. This pattern was interrupted in the previous 68th intake, when the top scorer chose the Ministry of Strategy and Finance, and now, with the 69th intake following the organizational split, the top scorer has chosen the Planning and Budget Office instead of the Ministry of Economy and Finance. There is talk in the Sejong government district that the real significance of the budgeting function—which grants an agency direct influence over other ministries by allocating funding for national projects—has been proven.

With this assignment, the Planning and Budget Office strengthened internal morale by recruiting not only four general administrative officers and 11 officers in the financial and economic affairs division but also the top scorer in that division, at this early stage in its establishment as a separate agency. The Ministry of Economy and Finance secured the largest number of officers among single ministries, with a total of 19 (four general administrative and 15 in financial and economic affairs), yet it experienced a subtle blow to its pride by losing the symbolic top scorer to the Planning and Budget Office. The combined allocation for the two ministries reached 34 people, a nearly 54% increase compared to the 22 positions allocated to the Ministry of Strategy and Finance before the split.

This year, the Fair Trade Commission saw its allocation double from nine to 18 officers, but it did not enjoy the same popularity as before. The increased intake, which had lowered the "threshold" for entry, and growing concerns about future personnel bottlenecks due to the surge in staffing, have been cited as reasons. Meanwhile, the Financial Services Commission, which maintained the usual five allocations, remained one of the most sought-after agencies, as it was chosen by the top trainee at the training institute, the third-place finisher, and candidates who passed both the administrative and legislative service examinations. There were also practical, individual-focused choices, such as the second-ranking trainee at the training institute choosing the Ministry of National Defense and the top-ranked general administrative officer opting for the Ministry of Unification, reflecting a greater emphasis on aptitude and personal conviction.

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