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ALUMNI AND UIC COMMUNITY
Proudly Presenting UIC’s Newly Made Civil Servants
by Moses Lee
The Korean public service examinations are held for South Korean citizens seeking to enter the South Korean Civil, Legal, or Foreign Service. The exams are infamously challenging, yet every year there are hundreds of thousands of applicants that enter the examination halls. This year, it was estimated that about 440,000 were preparing to take the exams.
There are several reasons why taking these grueling exams and passing them are so enticing. One reason is that an appli- cant is not required to have a degree or any job experience; the only requirement for taking the examination is that the applicant needs to be a South Korean citizen. Furthermore， passing these exams not only guarantees a job， but a secure career as well. These exams show that one can be of any social status， age， or background and be guaranteed employment so long as he or she passes.
We were fortunate enough to have had the opportunity to interview two of UIC’s very own that have passed these exams. These two students are some of the youngest in Korea to have passed the public service examinations this year.
Eun Ji Song is a senior majoring in International Studies who had entered UIC in the 2014. In the spring semester of 2017， she attended both hagwon (supplementary academies) and University， but later decided to take a break from University for a year to devote her time completely to her examination preparations. She entered the public service examination for the Korean Foreign Service and passed.
Gyeongmin Lee is a Political Science and International Relations double major in senior year who had entered UIC in 2014 as well. Gyeongmin also took a leave of absence from school for 2 years to prepare for the examinations. She entered the examinations for the Korean Civil Service and passed.
Can you describe what your daily schedule was like while you were preparing for the exams?
G: "For me, it was all about studying. I really didn't have a lot of time to relax and enjoy some leisurely activities. I'm pretty sure other students had similar experiences like mine because studying for the exams is just so demanding that you have to just devote all your time into preparing for them."
E: "At the beginning, I split my time between going to exam prep hagwons and school. Later, I found this was too demanding on my part, so I took a year off from school to just focus on studying for the exams. Although at the beginning I took a moment or two outside my weeks to relax and decompress, from December to June I fully devoted myself to only study- ing, spending 10 hours a day. I would wake up, go to library, eat lunch, go to the library or hagwon, and then sleep."
What was your reason for taking the exam in the first place?
G: "Since I am majoring in Political Science, I hope to get a job where social impact is possible. There aren't many jobs like that so entering the civil service as a public administrator seems like an opportunity that matches my own interests. I hope to be part of the law and justice depart- ment or the department involved with refugees."
E: "In my case, I want to be a diplomat, so taking the exam to enter Foreign service was the right choice for training to become one."
How does it feel to have passed such a difficult examination?
G: "Before, while preparing for my exams, I felt anxious because I didn't know what my future would be like. Now that I've passed and know that what future path is like, it kind of feels like my future opportunities are gone in a way. However, I am very happy that I don't have to study anymore."
E: "After I heard that I passed, I felt like I was on an adrenaline boost for a whole week. It felt unreal. I still feel good, but now I feel like I need to start preparing for the future. I have to do a training session at the Korea National Diplomatic Academy (KNDA). I'm also learning Chinese. The hard part is over and now I get to learn how to do my future career."
Do you feel your time at UIC has aided in your success in any way?
G: "My experiences taking economics and PSIR (political science and international relations) classes were very
helpful in taking the exams."
E: "My major requirement classes that I took correlated with the diplomat field of study for the exam. Other people had to go to hagwon to learn these subjects, but I was lucky to learn directly from UIC and be already prepared in some respects. Attending UIC and my experiences studying abroad in DC allowed me to be comfortable with English unlike some other applicants."
What are your goals and plans for the future?
G: "One of my reasons that I took the exams was that the job would provide a lot of opportunities for future education. Hopefully I would love to enter study abroad programs or pursue a Master's or a PhD."
E: "I'm thinking the same way as Gyeongmin. For me, I dream about going back to George Washington University, where I had my dream experience studying there. I would love to go back to that school and do my Master's there."
Do you have plans for celebrating?
G: "I have been travelling a lot recently since I passed. I'm planning to go to Japan tomorrow!"
E: "I plan on travelling with the group I studied with who all passed as well. We're planning an MT (membership
training) to Seokcho. I'm also going to Da Nang, Vietnam later this year."
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