Driver Job Attracts Degree Holders

A large number of people with higher-level degrees, including graduate degrees, applied to an open invitation for employment of 10th class technical officials, who drive official vehicles for the prosecutor’s office.

The Seoul Northern District Prosecutors’ Office posted on its internet web page a job ad for a 10th class technical official driver to be in charge of driving and managing its official vehicle.

In just three days, a total of 206 people applied for the post. The post required a “Type 1 large-sized vehicle license” only. However, 30 percent of the applicants were university graduates and some applicants were completing a master degree course in a university located in Seoul.

The office wanted to qualify successful applicants through two stages, a resume screening and an interview, but was put in trouble by such an unexpected competition among over-qualified applicants.

A total of 81 applicants passed the resume screening, through which prosecution had rejected those who had not worked as a driver or had been indicted with traffic accidents. In the interview, three executives in the prosecution evaluated applicants’ characters as a public official as well as driving experiences.

Mr. Han in his twenties, who is young but has many years of driving experience, went through a competition ratio of 206:1 to get selected to the position last December.

A prosecution official said, “The driver position offers just around one million won on a monthly basis for first year, but it may have been attractive that the employment would be continued until retirement.”

gaea@donga.com