South Korean civil servants will receive a 3.5% pay raise next year regardless of rank, marking the largest increase since 2017. The government is particularly focusing on improving compensation for junior-level and field workers to stem the growing exodus from public service.
The Ministry of Personnel Management announced Monday that the Cabinet passed revisions to the "Civil Servant Compensation Regulations" and "Regulations on Civil Servant Allowances." The changes take effect January 1, 2025.
While all civil servants receive the 3.5% base increase, entry-level workers in grades 7-9 will see raises of up to 6.6% when combined with an additional 3.1% boost. As a result, a grade-9 entry-level civil servant will earn approximately 34.28 million won ($25,000) annually, or about 2.86 million won per month. Junior military officers including sergeants and lieutenants are also included in the additional raise.
Senior officials will see their salaries rise as well. President Lee Jae-myung's annual salary increases by 9.19 million won, from 262.58 million won this year to 271.77 million won. Prime Minister Kim Min-seok will receive 210.69 million won, while deputy prime ministers for economy and science & technology are set at 159.4 million won each.
The government also enhanced compensation for field workers. A new monthly disaster and safety management allowance of 50,000 won was created, while emergency duty pay doubled from 8,000 won to 16,000 won per day. Hazardous duty allowances for police and firefighters rose from 70,000 won to 80,000 won monthly, and civil service desk workers handling public complaints will now receive 70,000 won per month.
The ministry said these measures aim to narrow the pay gap with the private sector and prevent junior civil servants from leaving government service. "We will continue to improve compensation for junior staff and disaster response personnel, and expand rewards based on job performance," said Choi Dong-seok, Minister of Personnel Management.
