The Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission (ACRC) announced on Thursday (July 9) that it has developed a plan to improve the system by waiving application fees for national and local civil service recruitment exams and has recommended its adoption to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, the Ministry of Personnel Management, and local governments.

According to the ACRC, current application fees for civil service exams are 10,000 won for Grade 5 and above, 7,000 won for Grades 6 and 7, and 5,000 won for Grades 8 and 9. These fees are currently waived only for a limited number of individuals, such as those from vulnerable social groups.

However, the ACRC explained that because a significant number of applicants take the exams repeatedly, the fees act as a major financial burden. In contrast, the additional fiscal impact of waiving these fees is estimated to be around 1.8 billion won, which the commission described as a very limited scale.

Accordingly, the ACRC has proposed a plan to fully waive application fees, as well as a phased approach that begins by mandating fee waivers for vulnerable groups and gradually expanding the scope of eligibility.

Han Sam-seok, Vice Chairperson and Secretary General of the ACRC, stated, "As civil service exams should be a venue of fair opportunity open to all citizens, we must reduce the burden on young people and vulnerable groups and lower the barriers to entering public service by waiving application fees."

(Photo: Yonhap News)