The competition rate for Gyeonggi Province's first open competitive recruitment exam for Grade 7 "local labor inspectors" has exceeded 11 to 1.

According to Gyeonggi Province on the 29th, a total of 292 applicants applied for 25 openings in the labor category following the close of application submissions for the Grade 7 open competitive exam, resulting in a competition rate of 11.7 to 1.

Following written and interview examinations, the final successful candidates will be announced on December 21.

After undergoing job training for labor inspectors from the Ministry of Employment and Labor and completing the designation process as judicial police officers, the successful candidates will be deployed to the field as local labor inspectors (formerly labor inspectors) in the first half of next year.

Local labor inspectors will primarily handle workplaces with fewer than 30 employees, and the relevant law, the Act on the Execution of Duties of Labor Inspectors, will take effect on December 8.

In the case of Gyeonggi Province, inspection activities will focus on vulnerable labor sites, such as water and sewage manhole work sites and workplaces with a high number of foreign workers.

Gyeonggi Province plans to recruit an additional 150 personnel across Grades 7 to 9 by January next year, alongside the 25 Grade 7 positions in the labor category, to operate a local labor inspector force totaling 170 personnel.

An official from Gyeonggi Province said, "We conducted our first open recruitment for 25 Grade 7 positions to appoint labor inspectors, and a larger-than-expected number of people applied," adding, "We plan to select the remaining personnel through Grade 7 personnel transfers, open recruitment for Grades 8 and 9, and incorporation into cities and counties, followed by sequential appointments."

Previously, the transition committee for the 9th popular election Gyeonggi governor proposed the prompt introduction of local labor inspectors as its very first recommendation among 120 policy proposals at the end of June.

Gyeonggi Province has also decided to pursue the establishment of a dedicated organization composed of local labor inspectors.

(Photo provided by Gyeonggi Province, Yonhap News)