Civil servant has been one of the most preferred job among students and their parents in Korea.

According to a 2017 survey by job search websites Job Korea and Albamon, 24.8 percent of parents wanted their children to become a civil servant.

The job appeared to be the most wanted also among students. In a 2016 survey by Statistics Korea, 23.7 percent of students suggested it as their future hope.

“Civil servants participate in operating the nation or specific region.” said Kang Hwan-il, a secretary at Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.

Kang is a Prime Minister-awarded government worker. He works to manage energy safety and control supply and demand of energy.

He suggested emotional pride, occupational stability, age limit security and guaranteed pension as advantages to be a civil servant.

Most people among those who picked civil servant as their wanted job in the surveys also suggested stability as the biggest reason why they want to be a civil servant.

However, despite such expectations, there also is dark side of the occupation.

“The culture of civil servant is bureaucratic and procedure-oriented,” Kang said.

For those who hopes to be a civil servant nevertheless, he emphasized responsibility and sense of duty.

”Also, it is important to be interested in social issues and have professional knowledge,” he added.

The process of becoming a civil servant includes taking a written test and several interviews. “Anybody can be a civil servant as long as they fulfill the requirements,” Kang said.

However, taking exams is not the only way to become a civil servant. The range of the job is wider than what ordinary people think.

“The jobs of government worker include rescue, firefighting, national defense, restoration of disaster, welfare management and public support,” he said. “Who have lawyer license or medical license can also be a civil servant.”

While more and more people are chasing for the job, Kang still encourages students to give a shot. “Civil servant is a challenging job but it is worthwhile. Give it a try!”