Concept

• Appointment of civil servants from lower grades to higher grades as a way to fill vacancies

Types of Promotion

• General promotion (promotion through screening/examination), promotion for continuous service, special promotion, open competitive promotion

Methods and Criteria

1. Based on work performance rating / career rating, and other actual proof of ability (State Public Officials Act: Article 40)

(Ordinary Promotion Screening Committee))

• Composition
  • Establishment: by each person with appointment authority or each person authorized to recommend appointment
  • Composition: not less than three members including a chairperson (not less than two members in case of unavoidable circumstances)
• The Committee’s Screening Criteria
  • Results of work performance rating
  • Ranking on the list of candidates for promotion
  • Evaluation results on the personnel records card (If a 360-degree evaluation is conducted, the result may be included.)
  • Whether or not there is experience of working for more than the mandatory period of service in a position
  • Number of days worked while positioned in the grade concerned
  • Expertise, business execution capability, and performance and achievements on business improvements (achievements, such as creative and active business execution, business improvement, deregulation, complaint handling and budget reduction)
  • Competent agency’s appointment track and standards for management of assigned positions (including exchange of personnel members pursuant to Subparagraph 1, Paragraph 1 , Article 48 of the Decree on the Appointment of Public Officials)
  • Various criminal records, such as giving and receiving of money, goods and treats, embezzlement/misappropriation of public money and driving under the influence of alcohol
  • Other career experiences, expertise, personality (view of the nation, loyalty, integrity, reputation, responsibility, etc.), capabilities (planning/research/execution ability, business execution ability, command/management ability, etc.), contributions to the nation, such as rewards, etc.

(The Minimum Number of Years Required for Promotion)

• Eligibility for general promotion, promotion for continuous service and special promotion (Nos. 1 and 3) requires that the minimum number of years of service required for promotion be met.
  • Grade 4: at least three years
  • Grade 5: at least four years
  • Grade 6: at least three years and six months
  • Grades 7 and 8: at least two years
  • Grade 9: at least one year and six months

  Civil Servants in Postal Service

  • Postal Grade 2: at least four years
  • Postal Grades 3, 4, 5 and 6: at least three years
  • Postal Grades 7 and 8: at least two years
  • Postal Grade 9: at least one year and six months
• Period excluded from the calculation of the minimum number of years of service required for promotion

  Periods of temporary retirement from office, periods of suspension from a position, periods of disciplinary actions and periods of restrictions on promotion which are referred to in Article 32 of the Decree on the Appointment

(Promotion for Continuous Service)

• Eligible grades and length of continuous service required for promotion (Decree on the Appointment: Article 35-4, Paragraphs 1 - 3)

  - Grade 7: at least 11 years / Grade 8: at least seven years / Grade 9: at least five years and six months

• Basic Principles
  • Promotion for Continuous Service is managed by each organization which prepares a list of candidates for promotion.
  • Even if there is no quota for civil servants of higher grades on the quota table in the organization, a vacancy is considered to have occurred in the higher grades by the number of personnel exceeding the period of continuous service required for promotion.
  • Promotion to Grade 6 for continuous service is available every year for 40% of outstanding performers among the Grade 7 incumbents who have been in service for at least 11 years.

    The ratio of civil servants eligible for promotion to Grade 6 for continuous service increased from 30% to 40% (Decree on the Appointment of Public Officials amended on November 5, 2019).

(Special Promotion)

• Among those without a reason for restrictions on promotion (Article 32 of the Decree on the Appointment), a civil servant who meets the following requirements may be eligible for special promotion.
• Civil servants with an outstanding ability in the performance of duties (Grade 4 or below)

  A civil servant who meets the government's priority tasks, the discovery and execution of national tasks, large-scale budget reduction and other criteria set by the competent minister in consideration of the characteristics of the respective ministry/agency.

  A civil servant who has received the commendation of the Prime Minister or an official of a higher position pursuant to Paragraph 3, Article 14 of the Regulations on Management of Proactive Governance (appointment in excess of the quota for each grade/class may be possible) or a person selected as an outstanding civil servant in proactive governance pursuant to Article 15 of the Regulations

• Awarded civil servants (Grade 4 or below), determined by the Minister of Personnel Management

  A civil servant who has been awarded the 'Korea Civil Servant Award' for his/her active performance of duties (the commendation of the Prime Minister or an official of a higher position)

  Hiring in excess of the quota for each grade/class is possible.

• Civil servants with achievements such as budget reduction with the adoption and implementation of his/her proposal (Grade 5 or below)

  If given a bronze award or above of the invention grade, a civil servant shall reach the minimum number of years required for promotion.

• Civil servants, among voluntary retirees, recognized to have achieved a special merit while in office (Grade 3 or below)

  A civil servant who shall have been holding office in the relevant grade for at least one year until the day preceding the date of voluntary retirement and shall not have been subject to a severe disciplinary action or light disciplinary action during the period of service

  Screening for whether or not there was a special merit shall be conducted; special promotion shall be canceled in case of recovery of voluntary retirement allowances.

• Civil servants, among those who passed away while on official duty, recognized to have achieved a special merit while in office

  Some requirements for promotion, such as satisfying the condition of a doubled number, shall not apply