REGULATIONS ON PROFESSIONAL CAREER OFFICIALS

Article 1(Purpose) #

The purpose of this Decree is to prescribe special cases concerning the appointment, appointment examinations, performance evaluations, etc. of public officials in general service who are appointed to positions exempt from the classification of ranks and the categorization of functional groups and categories under Article 4(2)1 of the State Public Officials Act and Article 3(2) of the Decree on the Appointment of Public Officials.

Article 2(Scope of application) #

(1) This Decree shall apply to public officials engaged in special duties exempt from the classification of ranks, occupational groups, and categories under Article 4(2)1 of the State Public Officials Act (hereinafter referred to as the "Act") [excluding public officials in professional fixed-term positions (including those on alternative work schedules) and public officials in temporary fixed-term positions under Article 3-2 of the Decree of the Appointment of Public Officials" (hereinafter referred to as the "Appointment Decree"); hereinafter referred to as "professional career official"]. <Amended on Dec. 16, 2013>

(2) Only Articles 6 through 12, 15, and 16 shall apply to professional career officials appointed as public officials in general fixed term positions pursuant to Article 22-4(6) of the Appointment Decree (including those in general fixed term positions on alternative work schedules). <Amended on Dec. 16, 2013>

Article 3(Designation of positions of professional career officials) #

(1) The competent Minister defined in subparagraph 3 of Article 2 of the Appointment Decree (hereinafter referred to as the "competent Minister") may designate positions in special fields of work where job rotation is impracticable and long-term employment, etc. are required among positions of public officials in general service within the relevant agency as the positions of professional career officials. <Amended on Nov. 19, 2014; Dec. 27, 2022>

(2) Matters necessary for the designation of the positions of professional career officials, such as the special fields of work under paragraph (1), shall be determined by the Minister of Personnel Management. <Amended on Nov. 19, 2014>

Article 4(Classification of position groups) #

(1) The positions of professional career officials under Article 3 (hereinafter referred to as "positions of professional career officials") shall be classified into Groups A, B, and C (hereinafter referred to as "position groups") based on the characteristics and difficulty of duties and the level of proficiency required, etc.

(2) When designating a position of professional career officials pursuant to Article 3, the competent Minister shall assign the relevant position to one of the position groups.

Article 5(Scope of appointment authority) #

(1) A professional career official appointed to the position of a professional career official with position Group A (hereinafter referred to as "professional career official in Group A") shall be equivalent to a public official of Grade V or higher under Article 32(1) of the Act.

(2) Pursuant to Article 32(3) of the Act, the President shall delegate authority to appoint professional career officials in Group A under his or her jurisdiction to the competent Minister.

(3) The competent Minister may delegate the authority to appoint professional career officials to be appointed to the position of professional career official in position Group B (hereinafter referred to as "professional career official in Group B") and professional career officials to be appointed to the position of professional career official in position Group C (hereinafter referred to as "professional career official in Group C") to the head of each agency (where the relevant agency is a collegiate body composed of multiple constituent members and the representative of such agency is not a public official, referring to a public official with the authority to exercise general control and supervision over the agency's affairs; hereinafter the same shall apply).

Article 6(Recruitment methods) #

Professional career officials shall be appointed through an examination under the main clause and the proviso, with the exception of the subparagraphs, of Article 28(2) of the Act (hereinafter referred to as "competitive recruitment examination for career service positions and other methods"). In such cases, this shall apply only to cases falling under Articles 28(2),2,3,7,8,10, or 13.

Article 7(Eligibility requirements for examinations) #

A person who intends to employ professional career officials pursuant to Article 6, shall meet the requirements prescribed in Article 16 of the Appointment Decree; provided, in cases falling under Article 28(2)2, 3, and 10 of the Act, the following requirements shall be met:

1. Article 28(2)2 of the Act: Possession of qualification certificates and career standards related to the duties for which the appointment is to be made as determined by the competent Minister;

2. Article 28(2)3 of the Act: Meeting the standards for work period or research career specified in Appendix 1;

3. Article 28(2)10 of the Act: Meeting the standards for work period or research career specified in Appendix 2.

Article 8(Age eligible for examinations) #

A person who intends to apply for a competitive recruitment examination for career service positions and other methods for the employment of professional career officials shall be at least 18 years of age in the year of the scheduled final examination; provided, where the head of the agency administering the examination under Article 9(1) (hereinafter referred to as "head of an examination administering agency") intends to employ professional career officials to perform face-to-face affairs, such as educating or counseling persons admitted to any of the following facilities, the minimum eligible age may be set at 20 years old or older: <Amended on Dec. 27, 2022>

1. Juvenile reformatories under Article 3(1) of the Act on the Treatment of Protected Juveniles;

2. Medical treatment and custody facilities under Article 16-2(1) of the Act on Medical Treatment and Custody;

3. Correctional facilities under subparagraph 1 of Article 2 of the Act of Execution of Sentences and Treatment of Inmates.

Article 9(Examination administering agency) #

(1) The examination for the recruitment of professional career officials in Group A shall be conducted by the relevant Minister, and the examination for the recruitment of professional career official in Groups B and C shall be conducted by the head of each institution.

(2) Before conducting the examination, the head of the examination administering agency shall consult with the head of a central personnel agency under Article 6(1) of the Act regarding the necessity, methods, etc. of the examination, as determined by the Minister of Personnel Management. <Amended on Nov. 19, 2014; Dec. 27, 2022>

(3) If deemed necessary, the head of the examination administering agency may conduct part or all of the recruitment examination jointly with the head of another institution or a private institution, or entrust the examination to such institution. In such cases, matters necessary for joint administration or entrustment of the examination shall be determined through consultation between the heads of the relevant institutions.

Article 10(Public announcement of examination) #

Notwithstanding Article 47 of the Decree on Public Officials Appointment Examinations (hereinafter referred to as the "Examination Decree"), the head of an examination administering agency need not make a public announcement in any of the following cases:

1. When the expenses associated with conducting a recruitment examination are excessively high or there are special reasons corresponding thereto;

2. When employing persons who have obtained the nationality of the Republic of Korea pursuant to Articles 4 and 8 of the Nationality Act, or North Korean defectors defined in subparagraph 1 of Article 2 of the North Korean Defector Protection and Settlement Support Act, for any unavoidable reason.

Article 11(Methods of competitive recruitment examinations for career service positions and other methods) #

When hiring a professional career official through a competitive recruitment examination for career service positions and other methods, the appointing authority shall assess whether the applicant meets the eligibility requirements for examinations under Article 7 through a written review, and evaluate the applicant's knowledge, ability, and suitability necessary to perform the relevant duties through a written examination, practical examination, or oral interview (written or practical examination shall be conducted only if deemed necessary by the head of the examination administering agency). In such cases, the competent Minister shall designate the subjects of the written examination in advance considering the content and nature of the relevant duties.

Article 12(Examination question level) #

The level of questions for the examination for the appointment of professional career officials shall be sufficient to assess the abilities and knowledge necessary to perform the relevant duties.

Article 13(Exemption of local professional career officials from competitive recruitment examinations for career service positions and other methods) #

If a local professional career official under Article 2 of the Regulations on Local Professional Career Officials is appointed to the position of a local professional career official equivalent to the position group of the local professional career official (including a position of a professional career official lower than their position group) with the same duties, he or she shall be exempt from a competitive recruitment examination for career service positions and other methods.

Article 14(Probationary appointment) #

When a professional career official in Group A is newly employed, he or she shall be appointed on a probationary basis for 1 year, and a professional career official in Groups B and C shall be appointed on a probationary basis for 6 months.

Article 15(Application fees) #

Applicants for a competitive recruitment examination for career service positions and other methods shall pay an application fee of 7,000 won in the form of a revenue stamp.

Article 16(Application of the Examination Decree) #

Except as provided in this Decree with respect to an examination for the appointment of professional career officials, the Examination Decree (excluding Article 36 of that Decree) shall apply. In such cases, "grade" shall be construed as "position of professional career officials".

Article 17(Reassignment) #

(1) In any of the following cases, the appointing authority may reassign a professional career official as a public official in general service or vice versa through an examination for reassignment:

1. Where adjustments in the number of personnel in the relevant position are necessary due to organizational changes or abolition, or changes to or elimination of the fixed number of personnel;

2. Where he or she meets the eligibility requirements for a competitive recruitment examination for professional career officials and other methods under Article 7 (limited to where a public official in general service, who is not a professional career official, is reassigned as a professional career official).

(2) Notwithstanding paragraph (1), if a public official in general service, who is not a professional career official, meets the eligibility requirements for a competitive recruitment examination for professional career officials and other methods pursuant to paragraph (1)2, he or she shall be exempt from the reassignment examination.

(3) Matters necessary for the reassignment under paragraph (1), such as the classes and positions to be reassigned, shall be determined by the Minister of Personnel Management. <Amended on Nov. 19, 2014>

Article 18(Transfer) #

(1) In any of the following cases, the appointing authority may transfer a professional career official to another position: <Amended on Nov. 19, 2014; Sep. 25, 2015>

1. Where the fixed number of professional career officials is transferred to another institution, etc. due to organizational changes or abolition, or changes to, or elimination of the fixed number of personnel, and thus the relevant professional career official is transferred without a change in his or her field of duties or position group;

2. Where the competent Minister transfers a professional career official to another agency without changing the field of duties and position group;

3. Where the competent Minister transfers a professional career official to the position of professional career official with the same field of duties within the same agency, as determined by the Minister of Personnel Management.

(2) The appointing authority shall not transfer a professional career official employed through a competitive recruitment examination for career service positions and other methods under paragraph (1) until the following periods (excluding the periods of leave of absence, release from position, and suspension from office) have elapsed from the date of his or her first appointment to the position; provided, this shall not apply in cases falling under paragraph (1) 1: <Added on Sep. 25, 2015>

1. Where the competent Minister transfers the official to another agency: 7 years;

2. Where the competent Minister transfers the official within the same agency: 5 years.

Article 19(Dispatch) #

The appointing authority may dispatch professional career officials to other State agencies, etc. without changing their fields of duties and position groups, only in cases falling under any of Article 41(1)1 through 4 of the Appointment Decree.

[This Article Wholly Amended on Dec. 24, 2024]

Article 20(Work performance ratings) #

(1) The work performance ratings of a professional career official shall be based on the evaluation of job performance and capabilities (hereinafter referred to as "work performance evaluation") under Article 4 of the Regulations on the Performance Evaluation of Public Officials (hereinafter referred to as the "Performance Evaluation Regulations"); provided, where deemed necessary by the competent Minister, evaluation may be conducted based on the evaluation items under Article 7-2 of that Regulations.

(2) The Performance Evaluation Regulations (excluding Articles 18, 23 through 27, 29, and 30 of that Regulations) shall apply to the work performance ratings of professional career officials. <Amended on Dec. 26, 2023>

(3) Notwithstanding Article 18(1) of the Performance Evaluation Regulations, the work performance evaluation committee designed to deal with matters relating to work performance evaluation ratings for professional career officials, the adjustment of the results of the work performance evaluations, objections to those results, and other relevant matters, shall be established for each unit agency determined by the competent Minister. <Added on Dec. 26, 2023>

(4) In applying the Performance Evaluation Regulations to professional career officials, the following subparagraphs shall apply: <Added on Dec. 26, 2023>

1. "By grade, department, or service field" in the former part of Article 14(2) of the Performance Evaluation Regulations shall be construed as "by position group, department, or field of duties";

2. "By class" in Article 14(3) of the Performance Evaluation Regulations shall be construed as "by position group or by position group in the same field of duties";

3. "By class or rank" in Article 18(4) of the Performance Evaluation Regulations shall be construed as "by position group or by position group in the same field of duties".

Article 21(Application of the Appointment Decree) #

(1) Except as provided in this Decree regarding the appointment of professional career officials, the Appointment Decree shall apply; provided, Articles 11, 12, 12-2, 13, 13-2, 14, 15, 22-3, 31 through 33, 33-2, 34, 34-2, 34-3, 35, 35-2 through 35-5, 36, 40, 42-2, 43-2, 43-3, 44, 45, 45-2, 46, 47, 49-3, 58, and 59 shall not apply. <Amended on Sep. 25, 2015; Dec. 24, 2024; Jul. 7, 2025>

(2) In applying the Appointment Decree to professional career officials pursuant to paragraph (1), the following subparagraphs shall apply: <Amended on Sep. 25, 2015>

1. Deleted; <Dec. 24, 2024>

2. "Expected class of appointment" in the latter part of Article 24(1) of the Appointment Decree shall be construed as "position of professional career official to be appointed";

3. "Rank at the time of retirement or to a rank subordinate thereto" in Article 25(2)2 of the Appointment Decree shall be construed as "rank at the time of retirement or the rank below the rank at the time of retirement" shall be construed as "position of a professional career official (including one in a lower position group) with the same field of work and position group;

4. "By functional category" in the latter part, with the exception of the subparagraphs, of Article 48(1) of the Appointment Decree shall be construed as "by the same field of work and position group", and "public officials of functional category of which the fixed number of persons prescribed by statutes and regulations which provide for organization and personnel is small" in the latter part of paragraph (2) of that Article shall be construed as "professional career official", and "by functional category" as "by the same field of work and position group".