Women have surpassed half of Korea's local government workforce for the first time, while the number of public servants on leave reached a record high amid the spread of family-friendly policies.
According to the "Local Government Personnel Statistics" released by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety on Tuesday, the total number of local government employees nationwide stood at 313,924 as of the end of 2025, down 1,281, or 0.4%, from 315,205 in 2024.
Women accounted for 163,328 of all local public servants, or 52.0%. This marks the first time the female share has exceeded half since the ministry began compiling the personnel statistics. Among 27,139 senior officials at Grade 5 or higher, 10,518 were women, representing 38.75% and surpassing the 10,000 mark for the first time on record. The figures reflect accelerating female advancement at the middle and managerial levels.
By metropolitan government, Gyeonggi Province had the largest workforce at 56,988, followed by Seoul with 48,413 and North Gyeongsang Province with 24,281. Among basic local governments, Changwon in South Gyeongsang Province had the most at 4,076, followed by Suwon (3,802), Goyang (3,456), Yongin (3,409) in Gyeonggi Province, and Cheongju (3,331) in North Chungcheong Province. By job type, general service positions accounted for 312,057, or 99.4% of the total, with administrative positions making up the largest share at 42.8%.
In personnel operations, the increase in employees on leave stood out. The number of public servants on leave in 2025 reached 33,948, up 2,818, or 9.1%, from a year earlier, marking a sharp rise. Of these, parental leave accounted for 24,266, well over 70% of the total, followed by long-term care leave at 7,140 (21.0%) and family care leave at 1,659 (4.9%). Analysts attribute the increase to ongoing institutional improvements such as the expanded recognition of parental leave as work experience, along with a growing acceptance of leave for childcare and family care.
New hires continued to decline. The number of newly appointed employees in 2025 was 16,243, down 2,529, or 13.5%, from a year earlier, marking the fifth consecutive year of decline since 2021. Over the same period, retirees totaled 15,382, with mandatory retirement accounting for the largest share at 5,994 (39.0%), followed by voluntary resignations at 5,244 (34.1%) and early retirements at 2,801 (18.2%).
The ministry plans to consider expanding new recruitment again to minimize personnel gaps, as mandatory retirements are projected to steadily increase to 4,550 in 2026, 7,837 in 2027, and 9,273 in 2028. "We will continue to pursue personnel policies that can respond nimbly to future administrative demands and demographic changes," said Jin Myung-ki, head of the ministry's Local Autonomy and Innovation Office.
