Who becomes a civil servant? Evidence from a decade of youth panel analysis

Don S. Lee, Kee Hoon Chung and Inbok Rhee

Public Management Review, 2025, vol. 27, issue 9, 2148-2171

Abstract: This article explores the patterns of bureaucratic recruitment—focusing on who prepares for and passes the civil service examination—using unique panel data that capture and track career aspirations, socioeconomic backgrounds, and actual career trajectories of tens of thousands of Korean youth for 12 years. Our analysis shows that those who are better educated, prosocial, and well-off are positively correlated with the likelihood of preparing for the examination. Moreover, we find that, contrary to some worries, the likelihood of passing the examination is positively correlated with talented and prosocial candidates with no strong connection to more affluent family backgrounds.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1080/14719037.2024.2327616

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