Cheong Wa Dae said it will convert more than 700 general civil servants into expert civil servants within the year to "boost vitality in the public sector," and secure more than 1,200 by 2028. The plan is to strengthen government-level training for civil servants who have served long-term for seven years or more in fields such as artificial intelligence (AI), international trade, and labor inspection, and then officially appoint them as "expert civil servants."
Kang Hoon-sik, chief of staff to the president, said at a Cheong Wa Dae briefing on the 29th, "We will foster expert civil servants without rotational posts," and added, "We will strengthen periodic training and officially reflect the expertise built in the field in personnel decisions."
Kang added, "Specialist personnel needed across ministries will be managed on a pan-government basis," noting, "for example, AI expert civil servants will work without silos among the Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT), the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MOTI), the Ministry of the Interior and Safety (MOIS), and other ministries." Kang also said that when increasing new hires, a set proportion will be designated as expert civil servants to create a "two-track personnel" system.
To move away from seniority, the government also said it will introduce a "fast track" for promotion to Grade 5. The target is 100 people within the year. Kang said, "We will implement a fast track after receiving recommendations for practitioners who have shown strong practical abilities, clear results, and potential, and putting them through rigorous performance and competency vetting."