This Year, Entry-Level 9th Grade Public Officials' Starting Salary Exceeds 30 Million Won for the First Time... Military Sergeant Pay at 1.25 Million Won

Civil Servant Salaries Increased by 2.5% Compared to Last Year

[Image source=Yonhap News]

This year, civil servant salaries will increase by 2.5% compared to last year. The starting annual salary for Grade 9 civil servants will rise by 6%, surpassing 30 million KRW for the first time.

The Ministry of Personnel Management announced on the 2nd that the amendments to the "Civil Servant Salary Regulations" and the "Regulations on Civil Servant Allowances," which include improvements to civil servant treatment, were approved at the Cabinet meeting.

According to the amendments, this year's civil servant salaries will increase by 2.5% compared to last year, with relatively lower-ranked Grade 7 to 9 civil servants receiving a higher increase.

First, the starting salary for Grade 9 entry-level civil servants (Step 1) will increase by 6%, combining the common raise of 2.5% and an additional 3.5%. The eligibility for the long-service allowance, previously paid only to civil servants with over five years of service, will be expanded to include those with less than five years of service, who will receive a monthly allowance of 30,000 KRW.

Reflecting these additional treatment improvements, the starting salary for Grade 9 entry-level civil servants (Step 1) this year is approximately 30.1 million KRW annually (about 2.51 million KRW monthly), which is a 6.3% increase (+1.79 million KRW annually) compared to last year's 28.31 million KRW.

President Yoon Suk-yeol's annual salary this year is set at approximately 254.933 million KRW, a 4.2% increase from last year.

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo's annual salary is set at 197.636 million KRW, the Deputy Prime Minister and Auditor General's salaries at 149.524 million KRW, and ministers (including ministerial-level officials) at 145.332 million KRW.

Sergeant Soldier Salary Raised from 1 Million KRW to 1.25 Million KRW

The monthly salary for sergeant soldiers will increase by 25%, from 1 million KRW last year to 1.25 million KRW this year.

Next year, the sergeant soldier salary will rise to 1.5 million KRW, and combined with the government's asset formation program, the Tomorrow Preparation Support Fund (55,000 KRW in 2025), the total monthly pay for sergeants will reach 2.05 million KRW.

For junior officers, the starting salary (Step 1) for second lieutenants and sergeants will increase by 6% compared to last year, and a housing allowance of 160,000 KRW per month will be extended to those with less than three years of service.

A special duty allowance of 80,000 KRW per month will be newly established for civil servants who regularly perform disaster prevention and safety duties.

The monthly cap on allowances paid to civil servants engaged in disaster response and recovery at disaster sites will be raised from 80,000 KRW to 120,000 KRW.

The teaching allowance for homeroom teachers will increase by more than 50%, from 130,000 KRW to 200,000 KRW per month, while the teaching allowances for position teachers (from 70,000 KRW to 150,000 KRW) and special education teachers (from 70,000 KRW to 120,000 KRW) will also rise.

Allowances for correctional officers working in prisons and similar facilities will increase from 170,000 KRW to 200,000 KRW per month, and allowances for veterinary officers conducting quarantine work at livestock epidemic sites will rise from 150,000 KRW to 250,000 KRW per month.

Additionally, autonomy in salary setting will be expanded, and rewards for important duties will be strengthened. Civil servants who are space and aviation experts, information technology (IT) specialists, or international trade and international law expert lawyers can receive annual salaries in the hundreds of millions of KRW.

Previously, even open-position civil servants in the private sector could not receive more than 150% of the standard annual salary, but from this year, the salary cap for special positions (autonomous salary cap) will be abolished. For example, a 10-year experienced expert promoted to a Grade 4 section chief level civil servant, who currently earns 60 to 70 million KRW annually, could now receive 200 to 300 million KRW without any cap.

Second Parental Leave Recipient Can Receive Up to 4.5 Million KRW Monthly for Six Months

Conditions for utilizing parental leave will also be improved to address low birth rates.

When both civil servant parents take parental leave for the same child, the second parent previously received parental leave pay of up to 2.5 million KRW per month for three months, within 100% of their monthly salary. Going forward, the allowance will be paid for six months, up to 4.5 million KRW per month.

Also, during leave, only 85% of the parental leave allowance was paid monthly, with the remainder paid in a lump sum after returning to work and continuing employment for six months or more. From this year, for parental leave recipients of the second or subsequent child, the full parental leave allowance will be paid during leave without any deductions.

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