Part-Time Workers' Union Criticizes Ministry of Personnel Innovation for Insisting on Maintaining Part-Time System Despite Calls for Abolition

71.4% of Central Agencies Demand Abolition of the System
Calls for Personnel System Normalization Through Transition to a 40-Hour Workweek

More than 7 out of 10 central administrative agencies are demanding the abolition of the part-time recruited public official system. In contrast, only the Ministry of Personnel Innovation, which oversees the system, continues to maintain the status quo, revealing a clear disconnect with field agencies.

The National Part-Time Public Officials Union (Chairperson Jeong Seonghye, Part-Time Workers' Union), affiliated with the Federation of Korean Trade Unions, announced on the 5th that it surveyed the personnel departments of 49 central administrative agencies throughout February regarding additional recruitment or abolition of the part-time public official system. Excluding agencies that responded “no opinion,” 25 out of 35 agencies (71.4%) expressed a desire to abolish the system.

Opinions of the HR departments of central administrative agencies on the abolition of the time-selective recruitment system for public officials. Provided by the Time-Selective Workers' Union.

Five agencies (14.3%) replied that the issue falls under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Personnel Innovation, and none of the agencies expressed a desire for additional recruitment.

Field Agencies: "Inefficiency in Position Assignment and Personnel Management"

Agencies calling for the abolition of the system commonly cited inefficiency in workforce management due to short working hours as a core issue. They pointed out difficulties in position transfers and work assignments, a decline in work continuity, and the concentration of workload on full-time public officials as major problems.

Structural problems in staffing and headcount management were also raised. Because the number of part-time public officials is calculated based on a 35-hour (0.875) workweek, the remaining 0.125 fractional headcount cannot be utilized, resulting in rigidity in workforce management.

The Part-Time Workers' Union stated, "The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism pointed out that fractional headcount leads to a reduction in personnel, while the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport argued that since work-family balance systems such as telecommuting and flexible work are already in place, continued recruitment of part-time public officials is unnecessary."

According to the union, agencies such as the National Police Agency, Korea Customs Service, and the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment also actively expressed the need to abolish the system, stating that the restriction on working hours places a burden on organizational management when part-time public officials perform the same work as full-time officials.

Many also argued that, since there is already a system allowing full-time public officials to switch to part-time status as needed, there is no reason to maintain a separate recruitment system.

Union Issues Strong Criticism: "Ignoring Responsibility"

The core of the controversy is that despite overwhelming field demand for abolition, only the Ministry of Personnel Innovation, which oversees the system, insists on maintaining the current policy. The Part-Time Workers' Union criticized this, stating, "It is highly unusual for the Ministry of Personnel Innovation to insist on maintaining the system while field agencies continuously raise concerns about inefficiency and structural issues."

The union pointed out that Article 93, Paragraph 4 of the 'Public Officials Appointment Rules' grants the head of the Ministry of Personnel Innovation the authority to conduct fact-finding surveys and recommend improvements to relevant departments regarding part-time public officials, emphasizing, "By failing to fulfill this responsibility, inefficiency in workforce management and structural discrimination are occurring simultaneously at the field level."

Chairperson Jeong Seonghye stated, "The system, as demanded by personnel departments, should be abolished, existing personnel should be converted to a 40-hour workweek, and public officials who wish to work part-time should be able to switch to part-time status, thereby normalizing the personnel system."

The Part-Time Workers' Union delivered a letter demanding the change to a 40-hour workweek for part-time recruited public officials to the responsible officer at the Ministry of Personnel Innovation on the 26th of last month. Provided by the Part-Time Workers' Union.

Vice Chairperson Kim Jeongguk said, "At the National Assembly Public Administration and Security Committee's audit, Minister of the Interior and Safety Yoon Hojoong also responded that if the Ministry of Personnel Innovation decides on abolition, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety will take all necessary measures," and emphasized, "Maintaining the system while ignoring the opinions of the field can undermine trust in public personnel policies, and now is the time to objectively assess the gap between the original intent of the system and current realities."

The Part-Time Workers' Union plans to continue demanding the abolition of the part-time public official system and normalization of public personnel policies from the Ministry of Personnel Innovation and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety.

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