The number of positions to be filled through the 2026 open competitive recruitment exam for national civil servants has been set at 5,351. The Ministry of Personnel Management said on the 2nd that it posted the notice on the National Civil Service Recruitment System and in the official gazette.

By grade, the allocations are ▲ Grade 5: 341 ▲ Diplomatic service candidates: 40 ▲ Grade 7: 1,168 ▲ Grade 9: 3,802.

On April 5, examinees enter a test site in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, as the written exam for the open competitive recruitment of Grade 9 national civil servants takes place. /Courtesy of Ministry of Personnel Management

That is 79 more than last year's intake (5,272). Grade 5 and Grade 7 each increased by 36 and 574, while diplomatic service candidates and Grade 9 were reduced by 2 and 528, respectively. The sharp increase in Grade 7 reflects the inclusion of the hiring plan for 500 positions in labor inspection and industrial safety, for which additional open recruitment began late last year in line with the Lee Jae-myung administration's emphasis on preventing industrial accidents.

This year's written exams for national civil service open recruitment will be held on ▲ Grade 5 and diplomatic service candidates: March 7 ▲ Grade 9: April 4 ▲ Grade 7: July 18. However, for the additional open recruitment track for Grade 7 civil servants in labor inspection and industrial safety, which already held the first round on Nov. 1 last year, the second and third rounds will proceed on the 24th and March 5–6, respectively, as scheduled.

Schedule for the 2026 national civil service open recruitment. /Courtesy of Ministry of Personnel Management

Meanwhile, the current public servant open recruitment format will apply through this year, with changes starting next year. The Public Service Aptitude Test (PSAT) will continue to serve as the first-round exam for Grade 5, Grade 7, and diplomatic service candidates this year, but starting next year it will be administered separately as a qualification-style test. The aim is to allow PSAT scores to be used not only for civil service exams but also for a range of public institutional sector hiring exams.

In addition, the Korean history subject will remain part of the Grade 9 open recruitment written exam through this year, but starting next year it will be replaced by the Korean History Proficiency Test (Level 3 or higher) administered by the National Compilation Committee.

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