Local Government 9th Grade Written Exam Scheduled Nationwide on June 20 with 6.1 to 1 Competition Ratio

Kim Sung-hoon, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Personnel Management, inspects exam preparations at a high school in Gangnam, Seoul, the day before the national civil service exam on April 3. [Photo=Ministry of Personnel Management]

2026's local government 9th grade public recruitment and career competition written exams will be held nationwide on June 20 across 17 cities and provinces.

According to the Ministry of Interior and Safety on June 17, this year's local government 9th grade public and career competition exams are set to select 23,390 candidates, with a total of 141,546 applicants registered, resulting in a competition ratio of 6.1 to 1, a slight decrease from last year's 8.8 to 1. The number of positions available this year has increased by 9,794 from last year's 13,596.

By recruitment type, the public competition has a ratio of 6 to 1, while the career competition stands at 11.2 to 1. Regionally, Sejong City has the highest competition ratio at 12.5 to 1, with 953 applicants for 76 positions. This is followed by Daegu at 10 to 1 and Daejeon at 9.5 to 1. In contrast, Chungcheongbuk-do has the lowest ratio at 4.3 to 1, with 5,407 applicants for 1,253 positions, while Incheon has a ratio of 4.5 to 1, and Jeollanam-do and Jeju have ratios of 4.6 to 1 each.

In terms of job categories, the administrative sector has a competition ratio of 6.7 to 1, with 97,074 applicants for 14,530 positions, while the science and technology sector has a ratio of 5 to 1, with 44,472 applicants for 8,860 positions.

By age group, applicants aged 20 to 29 make up the largest share at 47.6% (67,367), followed by those aged 30 to 39 at 37.8% (53,440), those over 40 at 13.8% (19,641), and those under 19 at 0.8% (1,098).

In terms of gender, female applicants total 80,722, accounting for 57% of the total, surpassing male applicants at 60,824 (43%). This marks a slight increase from last year's female registration rate of 56.7%.

Candidates can check their exam locations and schedules through the websites of their respective cities and provinces, as well as the local government internet application center. Results for the written exam will be announced from July 9 to 23 on the respective city and province websites, with final successful candidates to be announced sequentially starting July 31.

Jin Myung-ki, head of the Ministry of Interior and Safety's Local Innovation Office, stated, "This year, with a significant increase in the number of positions, we will actively support local governments to ensure that the written exams are conducted without any issues across all 17 cities and provinces."

* This article has been translated by AI.