The South Korean dream: K-pop star, tech baron? Nope, it’s the civil service

A stable career, steady pay cheque and insulation from economic headwinds make the civil service one of the country’s most sought after employers

But the competition for jobs is stiff and applicants are paying big money to spend years studying at academies that promise success in the entry exams

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A teacher gives a lecture at an academy in Seoul preparing applicants for entry exams to the civil service. Photo: Reuters

Published: 9:30am, 25 Jun 2019Updated: 10:29pm, 25 Jun 2019

It’s early morning at Seoul’s Noryangjin subway station, and hordes of young people carrying backpacks and wearing sweatpants hurry up the exit stairs.

But there are few schools and no universities in this district, which is known for its fish market and wedding banquet halls.

Instead of college campuses, the streets are lined with preparatory academies that train applicants for exams they must pass to secure careers in South Korea’s much-coveted civil service.

One of the young hopefuls is Song Ji-hye, who has a degree in police administration. She is 28 but has never had a full-time job. She has been taking classes at Willbes Academy since 2017, although she took time off after failing her civil service exam the first time around.

Even children in junior school often say they dream of becoming a government employee. Photo: AFP

Willbes teaches Korean history, English, criminal law, police studies and other basic subjects such as maths. The centre prepares applicants for the written test, physical challenge and interview they must pass to win a place in the police force.

Song, a native of Chungcheong, a province about three hours south of Seoul, wakes up at 5.50am every day in her goshiwon – a tiny type of rented accommodation aimed at students studying for an important exam.