People as young as 18 years old will be eligible to take civil service exams for grade seven positions or higher beginning in 2024, a change from current rules that require test takers to be at least 20 years old. 

The Ministry of Personnel Management said that the revision to the dictating ordinance was approved by the Cabinet on Tuesday, with the intention of reducing the threshold to that applied to exams for grade eight or lower to facilitate hiring based on competence.

The government also took into account recent revisions to the Public Official Election Act that lowered the age of eligibility to run for office from at least 25 to 18 years old.

However, the minimum threshold of 20 years old for correctional or protective duties will remain.

Exam requirements will be partially eased, with those taking the higher grade five civil service exam tested only on three to four mandatory subjects in the second stage from 2025, while two subjects in the second stage of the foreign service exam will be merged.