Civil Service Reforms and the Development of Korea

Human resources in government have been recognized crucial elements for national development in that civil servants make policy decisions and implement them. Especially in the case of economic development, high levels of expertise and experience are required for civil servants. Korea’s economic development provides good example of the importance of public human resources. The Korean government recruited new civil servants through the civil service exam, a very difficult and competitive test. Most civil servants who pass this exam have a high degree of knowledge of economics, public policy, and public administration. During period of industrialization in Korea, civil servants used these abilities to design and implement public policies for economic and social development that enabled the country to make surprising progress. As Korea lacks natural resources, the role of civil servants is much more important than that in many other countries. This study reviews historical changes in the Korean civil service system, especially the recruitment system.