SEOUL, September 11 (AJP) - South Korea's government agency in charge of managing the civil service has drawn attention after announcing that applicants who show up for government job interviews wearing neckties will be told to take them off.
The Ministry of Personnel Management said Thursday that it will begin strongly discouraging suits at national civil service interviews from October, instead urging applicants to come in casual clothing including jackets, shirts, knitwear, slacks, jeans and sneakers.
Under the new guidance, both male and female applicants are advised to avoid suits, while neckties and formal dress shoes are prohibited. Applicants who arrive wearing a tie will be asked to remove it, while those wearing dress shoes will have shoe covers placed over them.
The ministry said the unusual measures were necessary because previous efforts to encourage more relaxed interview attire had largely failed.
"The Ministry of Personnel Management has recommended 'simple clothing that does not interfere with one's ability to demonstrate one's capabilities, such as everyday clothes and no tie' as interview attire," the ministry said in its notice.
"However, despite the recommendation, most applicants continue to attend interviews in suits, creating an unnatural interview atmosphere, while noise from dress shoes has also disrupted the operation of the examinations."
The ministry said it was reiterating its call for casual attire to reduce the burden on applicants and allow them to take part in interviews in a more comfortable and natural atmosphere.
Its examples of appropriate clothing include jumpers, shirts, knit tops, slacks, cotton pants, jeans, flats and sneakers. Hiking clothes, tracksuits, shorts, sleeveless tops, high heels and slippers are among the items candidates are advised to avoid.
The ministry also released AI-generated images showing examples of acceptable interview outfits, including a white T-shirt paired with jeans and a knit top worn with beige trousers. The guidelines will apply to interviews administered by the ministry beginning in October.
The Ministry of Personnel Management is South Korea's central government agency responsible for personnel policy for national civil servants. Its responsibilities include recruitment, pay, human resource development, welfare and pensions, as well as ethics and disciplinary policies. It also administers the country's major open competitive examinations for Grade 5, Grade 7 and Grade 9 national civil service positions.
Competition for government jobs remains intense in South Korea. This year's Grade 9 national civil service examination drew 108,718 applicants for 3,802 planned openings, producing a competition rate of 28.6 applicants per position. The number of applicants rose 3.4 percent from a year earlier. The Grade 7 examination attracted 25,650 applicants for 668 positions, or 38.4 applicants per opening.
The new dress guidelines will first affect some of the country's most competitive government recruitment interviews. A combined 11,903 people applied this year for 381 positions in the Grade 5 civil service examination and the diplomatic candidate selection examination, a competition rate of 31.2 to 1. Their final interviews are scheduled to begin in October.
AJP Takeaways
- South Korea will discourage suits, neckties and dress shoes at national civil service interviews starting in October.
- The Ministry of Personnel Management says most applicants still wear formal attire despite earlier recommendations for casual clothing.
- More than 108,000 people applied for this year’s Grade 9 national civil service exam, underscoring the scale of Korea’s government recruitment system.
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