"For the Sake of Families": Public Servant Couples to Be Allowed Regional Co-Placement

- Exceptions to ‘Transfer Restriction Periods’ Urged for Pregnancy and Childcare Needs

- Call for Detailed Criteria: Facilitates Couples’ Regional Co-Placement

- Recommendations Made: Proposals Sent to the Ministry of Personnel Management, Ministry of the Interior and Safety, Ministry of National Defense, and Others

(7, November. 2024, ACRC)

Public servant couples may soon be allowed to work in the same region to support childbirth and childcare.

The Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission (ACRC), led by Chairperson Ryu Chul Whan, proposed revisions to public service personnel management policies. It urged 49 central government agencies, including the Ministry of Personnel Management, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, and the Ministry of National Defense, to adopt these changes on October 28.

These recommendations aim to assist dual-income families, especially public servant couples, who often face delayed family planning or burdensome childcare arrangements due to workplace separation. The proposed measures also extend to public servants with non-public servant spouses.

The Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission (ACRC) has urged the Ministry of Personnel Management and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety to amend personnel regulations to permit exceptions to the transfer restriction period for public officials. This recommendation specifically targets those who are planning to marry, expecting a child, or raising children and seek to reside in the same region as their spouse.

The transfer restriction period is a policy that limits transfers for a specified duration following the initial appointment of certain categories of public officials, including Grade 5 open competitive exam appointees, experienced hires, and regional or institution-specific recruits. Under the current framework, public officials subject to this restriction are unable to transfer to another agency, even when facing significant personal challenges such as infertility treatment or childcare responsibilities. This has led to persistent public appeals calling for exceptions to the policy.

In response, the Ministry of Interior and Safety announced on October 30 a draft amendment to the Regulations to the Local Public Officials Act. Similarly, the Ministry of Personnel Management expressed its intention to review amendments to related regulations, including the Regulations on Public Officials Appointment Decree.

The ACRC has further recommended that the Ministry of National Defense establish clear assignment criteria for civilian public servant couples, aligning their policy framework with existing rules for military couples or military-civilian couples.

Currently, such provisions are limited to the Army, and there are no comprehensive guidelines under the Civilian Personnel Management Regulations. The Ministry of National Defense has committed to amending the relevant regulations.

To institutionalize the reforms, the ACRC recommended that central government agencies establish assignment criteria ensuring public servants planning to marry, expecting children, or raising young children are prioritized for placement in the same region as their spouse.

In addition, the ACRC proposed that the Ministry of Personnel Management and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety explore long-term plans for formalizing transfer approvals in cases where couples seek co-residency for pregnancy or childcare, barring extraordinary circumstances.

Chairperson Ryu Chul Whan emphasized, "Supporting couples in having and raising children together is vital to building a happier and more sustainable society. We will collaborate closely with relevant ministries to foster a public service culture that empowers families to thrive while balancing work and childcare responsibilities."