Public Officials' Salaries Increased by 6.8%? The Truth Behind the Spreading False Notice Online
Recently, a document has become a hot topic among public officials.
A notice titled 'Confirmation of Salary Increase Rate for Public Officials in 2026' issued by the Ministry of Personnel Management quickly spread online, raising the expectations of many public officials.
In particular, it included details about a 6.8% salary increase for lower-tier public officials and an increase in the maximum childcare leave allowance to 2.5 million won per month, drawing attention.
However, this document has been confirmed not to be an official release from the Ministry of Personnel Management.

According to the Ministry of Personnel Management and the Cyber Safety Center of Seoul on the 20th, the document was a 'training document' created by the Cyber Safety Center of Seoul during a training program aimed at preventing email hacking.
A document that was arbitrarily created for training purposes leaked to the outside, spreading online as if it were an official notice.

Sweet Contents of the False Notice
The false notice contained several "sweet" details.
Looking at the main contents, it stated that the basic salary increase rate for public officials next year would be 2.7%, with an additional 4.1% for public officials with less than five years of service, totaling a 6.8% increase; the maximum childcare leave allowance would be raised from 1.5 million won to 2.5 million won; the maximum payment period for childcare leave would be extended to 18 months; monthly hazard pay for police and firefighting public officials would increase from 60,000 won to 70,000 won; a new civil service compensation allowance would be established (30,000 won per month); the adjustment rate for overtime pay would be expanded from 55% to 60%; and the fixed meal allowance would increase from 140,000 won to 160,000 won.
As this content was mistaken as an official announcement from the Ministry of Personnel Management, it seems to have raised expectations among many public officials.

Actual Discussion on 2026 Public Officials' Salary Increase Plan
The Public Officials Salary Commission under the Ministry of Personnel Management decided on September 21 to set the salary increase rate for public officials in 2026 at 2.7% to 2.9%.
Unlike the false notice, the actual discussions include details such as a 150,000 won additional increase for the starting salary of a 9th-grade first-grade public official compared to this year; respective increases of 25,000 won for allowances for public officials of 6th grade and below; an additional 20,000 won increase for the fixed meal allowance from the current 140,000 won to 160,000 won; and raising the adjustment rate for overtime pay from the current 55% to 60%, expanding it gradually to all ranks.
While there are some similarities between the actual discussed contents and those in the false notice, there are significant differences, particularly regarding the 6.8% salary increase for lower-tier public officials and the substantial hike in childcare leave allowance.
A representative from the Cyber Safety Center of Seoul stated, "This is not something that has been confirmed by the Ministry of Personnel Management; it is merely a document created for training purposes," and added, "We believe it has leaked externally after being distributed for training."
The Ministry of Personnel Management is currently facing a final decision on the public officials' salary increase plan for next year, and it is important to be cautious about unverified information circulating online until an official announcement is made.

This case serves as a reminder of the necessity to verify the source and authenticity of information shared online, especially information that appears to be from official institutions.
It is particularly important to obtain sensitive information related to one’s salary or allowances through official announcements or verified channels.
Image Source: AI-generated images for the understanding of the article / Bing Image Creator, part of the 'training document' created by the Cyber Safety Center of Seoul to prevent email hacking / Cyber Safety Center of Seoul, material images for the understanding of the article / Getty Images Bank.