Civil Servants Get Three Percent Pay Raise

Wages for civil servants will rise three percent this year.

The Civil Service Commission announced the pay hike plan at yesterday’s cabinet meeting. However, the increment may be raised again by approximately 0.9 percent to 3.9 percent as the government is considering an additional increase in November of some allowances for civil servants.

The wage increased by 9.7 percent in 2000, 7.9 percent in 2001, 7.8 percent in 2002, and 6.5 percent last year, thanks to the government’s five-year plan to raise government employees` paychecks to the levels of leading private companies.

As of the end of last year, their salaries remained at 97.3 percent of private leading companies hiring 100 and more, up from 88.4 percent in 2000.

The president, who is paid the most, will earn 152,088,000 won from wages, up by 7,350,000 won from last year’s 152,038,000. The wage for prime minister will be 118,065,000 won, a 5,707,000 won raise compared to 112,358,000 won last year.

The chief of the Board of Audit and Inspection and the deputy prime minister will be paid 89,302,000 won, ministers and those who are at the same level 83,106,000 won. Wages for the Minister of Government Legislation, the chief of the Korean Information Service and the trade minister will be 80,244,000 won. Vice ministers and those in the same level will be paid 77,863,000 a year as their wages.

The highest payrolls for other administrative public servants and the police will stand at 3,135,200 won. Wages for major generals will be up to 3,081,600 won. Teachers will be paid up to 2,441,900 won as their wages. Allowances are excluded from these amounts.

For some public servants who are paid based on their working hours, presidents of national universities will be paid the most, or 4,168,000 won, which is as much as wages for ministers.

Jong-Hoon Lee taylor55@donga.com