The number of low-paid people hired by public and state organizations rose at the fastest pace in five years in the first half of 2018. 

According to data by Statistics Korea on Sunday, in public administration, defense and social welfare, 387-thousand employees were paid less than two million won per month during the first half of the year, up 45-thousand from a year earlier. 

The on-year increase was the largest since 2013, when Statistics Korea started to compile related data.

In addition, public organizations employed 252-thousand manual workers, including janitors, in the first six months of this year, up a record 32-thousand from a year earlier. It's also the largest figure since 2013. 

Moreover, the number of temporary workers or part-timers in the public sector rose by an all-time high of 53-thousand on-year over the period.

Experts said that increased employment by the public sector has partly contributed to easing the country's job market, but this did not guarantee the quality of jobs.