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Local governments may hire expatriates next year
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2894444

September 03, 2008
Expatriates may be offered wider opportunities for employment in city and provincial governments under relaxed rules beginning next year, the government announced yesterday.

An amendment concerning employees at regional governments was approved at a cabinet meeting and will be sent to the National Assembly, the Ministry of Public Administration and Security said. If it passes the Assembly, it will go into effect next year.

Under current law, expatriates cannot be hired for local government jobs that involve policy making, law enforcement, or national security.

The new law would bar expatriates only from jobs in the national security sector. Currently, a small number of foreign nationals work in public relations and international affairs at local governments.

�Local governments will decide the qualifications and positions available to expatriates,� said Kang Seong-ki, a deputy director of the ministry.

Kang said most jobs available to foreign professionals will be contract-based, unlike those of most Korean government employees who go through rigorous testing before being hired. Local governments can freely decide the number and the level of positions they offer non-Koreans.

In addition, officials said the retirement age for rank-and-file employees at local governments will be made uniform at 60. Now rank-and-file employees who are at grade six or under can work until they are 57.

The retirement age for the employees will be extended by one year every two years until it reaches 60 by 2013. There are nine grades for public servants, with level one the highest.

The amendment also favors hiring at local governments from low-income households. Now, only the disabled and college graduates who majored in science and engineering are given hiring preferences.

�The amendment is meant to reduce economic disparity and to better utilize specialties of foreign nationals,� Kang said.

The amendment also stipulates that those who receive unjustified overtime pay will have to pay back double the amount.


By Limb Jae-un Staff Reporter [[email protected]]