A first-year police officer in South Korea earns $1,800 per month, less than what a minimum wage worker would earn. PHOTO: AFP
Sep 05, 2024,
SEOUL – A growing number of young police officers and firefighters in South Korea are quitting their jobs due to the heavy workload and low wages, data showed on Sept 4.
According to data from the National Police Agency submitted to Representative Shin Jung-hoon of the Democratic Party of Korea, the number of police officers with less than 10 years of service who resigned voluntarily nearly doubled from 155 in 2022 to 301 in 2023. Similarly, 125 firefighters with less than 10 years of service resigned in 2023, compared with 98 in 2022.
In the first half of 2024 alone, 162 police officers and 60 firefighters have already left their posts.
The proportion of junior officers among all resignations is also on the rise.
Among police officers, those with less than 10 years of service accounted for 63 per cent of all resignations in 2022. This figure rose to 72.7 per cent in 2023 and 77.1 per cent in the first half of 2024. A similar pattern is observed among firefighters, with the rate increasing from 62.8 per cent in 2022 to 72.2 per cent in 2023, and 75 per cent in the first half of 2024.
This trend is reflected in the recruitment process, where fewer people are applying for the job.
In the first half of 2024, the competition rate for police recruitment was 9.9 to 1 for men and 24.6 to 1 for women. It was the first time in two decades that the ratio for men dropped to single digits. The competition rate for firefighter positions also declined, from 13.8 to 1 in 2023 to 11.5 to 1 in 2024.
This figure is in line with a broader trend of the younger generation turning away from government jobs. In 2024, the competition for an entry-level civil servant was the lowest in 32 years since 1992.
Low pay and overwork are seen as major reasons why many young officers decide to leave. Currently, a first-year police officer receives about 1.87 million won (S$1,800) a month in base salary, less than the approximately two million won that one would earn by working the same hours for minimum wage. Firefighters receive wages in a similar range as well.
While they receive lunch stipends, overtime pay and other benefits, their salary is much lower than those working for private companies.
Experts are concerned that the growing number of junior police officers’ and firefighters’ resignations could hurt patrol coverage and responses to emergencies.
Sep 05, 2024,
SEOUL – A growing number of young police officers and firefighters in South Korea are quitting their jobs due to the heavy workload and low wages, data showed on Sept 4.
According to data from the National Police Agency submitted to Representative Shin Jung-hoon of the Democratic Party of Korea, the number of police officers with less than 10 years of service who resigned voluntarily nearly doubled from 155 in 2022 to 301 in 2023. Similarly, 125 firefighters with less than 10 years of service resigned in 2023, compared with 98 in 2022.
In the first half of 2024 alone, 162 police officers and 60 firefighters have already left their posts.
The proportion of junior officers among all resignations is also on the rise.
Among police officers, those with less than 10 years of service accounted for 63 per cent of all resignations in 2022. This figure rose to 72.7 per cent in 2023 and 77.1 per cent in the first half of 2024. A similar pattern is observed among firefighters, with the rate increasing from 62.8 per cent in 2022 to 72.2 per cent in 2023, and 75 per cent in the first half of 2024.
This trend is reflected in the recruitment process, where fewer people are applying for the job.
In the first half of 2024, the competition rate for police recruitment was 9.9 to 1 for men and 24.6 to 1 for women. It was the first time in two decades that the ratio for men dropped to single digits. The competition rate for firefighter positions also declined, from 13.8 to 1 in 2023 to 11.5 to 1 in 2024.
This figure is in line with a broader trend of the younger generation turning away from government jobs. In 2024, the competition for an entry-level civil servant was the lowest in 32 years since 1992.
Low pay and overwork are seen as major reasons why many young officers decide to leave. Currently, a first-year police officer receives about 1.87 million won (S$1,800) a month in base salary, less than the approximately two million won that one would earn by working the same hours for minimum wage. Firefighters receive wages in a similar range as well.
While they receive lunch stipends, overtime pay and other benefits, their salary is much lower than those working for private companies.
Experts are concerned that the growing number of junior police officers’ and firefighters’ resignations could hurt patrol coverage and responses to emergencies.
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