Wearing Silla Robes and Receiving Mokminsimseo... Unique Civil Servant Appointment Ceremony in the Millennium-old Capital

The special civil servant appointment ceremony in the thousand-year-old capital city of Gyeongju has been continuing for four years.

On October 30th, Mayor Ju Nak-yeong (center front row) and public officials dressed in Silla costumes are taking a commemorative photo at the appointment ceremony. [Photo by Gyeongju City]

On the morning of the 30th, an appointment certificate awarding ceremony for newly appointed civil servants taking their first step into public service was held in the main conference room of the Gyeongju City Hall. Among the 54 final successful candidates of the 2024 first open competitive recruitment exam, 20 individuals from six job categories were appointed on this day. The youngest successful candidate was born in 2001, a 23-year-old female administrative level 9, and the oldest successful candidate was born in 1972, a 52-year-old male administrative level 9. The appointment ceremony proceeded with the reading of the civil servant oath and a pledge to practice integrity. Notably, the new civil servants received their appointment certificates while wearing traditional Silla costumes and the ikseongwan, a hat symbolizing integrity, pledging to dedicate themselves to public service for the happiness of the citizens.

On January 5th, Mayor Ju Nak-yeong (center front row) and civil servants dressed in Silla costumes are taking a commemorative photo at the appointment ceremony.
[Photo by Gyeongju City]

They also received appointment certificates in the form of a school journal and the Mokminsimseo. This unique appointment ceremony has been ongoing since 2020. The ikseongwan, resembling the wings of a cicada, a symbol of integrity, serves as a reminder of the virtues that public officials must uphold. The Mokminsimseo by Jeong Yak-yong carries the meaning of becoming a wise and intelligent public official equipped with both expertise and creativity. Mayor Ju Nak-young of Gyeongju stated, "I hope you grow together with Gyeongju with pride and dignity as civil servants of Gyeongju, a city with a thousand years of history."

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