A false government agency document stating that public servant wages and allowances will increase is spreading rapidly online.
According to the Ministry of Personnel Management and the Seoul Cyber Safety Center on the 21st, a false document titled '2026 Public Servant Salary Increase Rate Confirmation Notice' has been circulated online recently.
The document, written in the format of a Ministry of Personnel Management official notice, contains information that the basic salary increase rate for public servants in 2026 is 2.7%, and that the wages for lower-ranking (5 years or less) public servants will increase by 6.8% (common 2.7% + additional 4.1%). It also states that the maximum amount for parental leave benefits will be raised from 1.5 million won to 2.5 million won per month and that the maximum payment period will be extended to 18 months.
Additionally, the risk work allowance for police and firefighting public servants is set to increase from 60,000 won to 70,000 won, and a new civil service allowance will be established to provide 30,000 won per month to public servants responsible for civil service tasks. Furthermore, the adjustment rate for overtime pay will be increased from 55% to 60%, and fixed meal allowances will also rise from the current 140,000 won to 160,000 won next year.
However, the document in question was revealed to be a 'training document' created by the Seoul Cyber Safety Center during training to prevent email hacking.
A representative of the Cyber Safety Center noted, "This is not something confirmed by the Ministry of Personnel Management, but rather an arbitrary training document," adding, "It was distributed as a training document but is reported to have leaked externally."
The Ministry of Personnel Management is investigating the circumstances surrounding the creation and distribution of the related document.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Personnel Management is on the verge of making a final decision regarding next year's public servant wage increase proposals. The Public Servant Wage Committee under the Ministry of Personnel Management, which deliberates and decides on public servant wage levels, determined the salary increase rate for public servants in 2026 to be between 2.7% and 2.9% on the 21st of last month.
In addition, to improve the treatment of lower-ranking public servants, it was decided to increase the salary of the 9th grade 1st level (entry level) by an additional 150,000 won compared to this year. Allowances for positions below 6th grade will each increase by 25,000 won, and fixed meal allowances will rise from the current 140,000 won to 160,000 won. The adjustment rate for overtime pay will be raised from the previous 55% to 60%, with plans to gradually expand this across all ranks.