There are three fundamental principles that guide the public human resource management (HRM) of the Republic of Korea:

• 1. "Democratic Civil Service System" that emphasizes responsibilities to serve the Korean people
• 2. "Career Civil Service System" that recruits and hires talented young people who will devote their life to public service; and
• 3. "Merit System" that employs individuals strictly according to their credentials and abilities regardless of partisanship or favoritism.

There are about one million* public servants in Korea, with about 690,000** in the central government and 390,000** in the local government (as of Dec. 2018).

Public servants are comprised of the following different categories:

• General Service : public officials engaged in public administration, technology, and research
• Special Service: public officials serving as judges, prosecutors, teachers, police and fire-fighting officers; and
• Political Service: public officials who are elected officials or require the approval of the National Assembly to be appointed.

The General Service consists of public officials in Grades 3-9 and senior officials belonging to the Senior Civil Service (SCS). The Special and Political Service each have their own grade systems.

Types of Public Officials

Public Officials in General Service