Low pay, burnout drive young South Korean police to quit

March 19 (Asia Today) -- Growing workloads and limited compensation are driving rising attrition among younger police officers in South Korea, according to officials and recent survey data.

Frontline officers face increasing demands, including violent crime, disaster response and domestic-related cases, but current pay structures have not kept pace, critics say.

Under existing regulations, holiday work allowances are limited to daytime hours and are paid within budget constraints. Officers working overlapping shifts - such as nights, holidays and overtime - cannot receive combined compensation, leading to complaints that high-intensity duties are not adequately rewarded.

The issue was highlighted at a recent policy forum at the National Assembly, where participants said the current system fails to reflect the shift-based and emergency-driven nature of police work.

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Although base pay has increased, concerns persist. The government raised overall public-sector salaries by 3.5% this year, with entry-level grades increasing by 6.6%. Monthly hazard pay for police rose from 70,000 won (about $50) to 80,000 won (about $60), and the daily cap for emergency response allowances increased to 40,000 won (about $30).

Despite these adjustments, many officers say compensation still does not match the physical and mental strain of late-night and extended shifts.

A survey of 1,380 officers found that 57.5% would consider leaving the force if given the opportunity. The most cited reason was low pay at 50.6%, followed by health concerns related to workload at 38.2%.

Data from the Korean National Police Agency show that resignations among officers with less than 10 years of service reached 331 in 2024, nearly triple the 111 recorded in 2020. Departures among those with 10 to 20 years of service also increased significantly.

Officers say the current system relies too heavily on a sense of duty rather than reflecting actual working conditions.

"Weekend overnight shifts are the most demanding, yet only one type of allowance is recognized," one Seoul-based officer said. "The workload is two or three times heavier, but the compensation is only partial."

Experts say reforms - including recognizing overlapping shifts separately and expanding overtime budgets - will be needed to address growing fatigue and retain younger personnel.

-- Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

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Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260319010005907