Yeongju mayor vows better incentives for staff in demanding, unpopular posts

Yeongju Mayor Hwang Byeong-jik has directed city officials to review the current incentive system for employees in demanding or unpopular posts and to develop meaningful improvements, the North Gyeongsang Province city announced Thursday.

In response, the city will raise the seniority bonus points awarded to staff in such roles, move up the point-accrual timeline and strengthen promotion preferences for long-serving employees in those positions.

Employees who have worked in demanding or unpopular roles for two or more years will be eligible for a shortened tenure-based promotion period, to the extent permitted by relevant regulations.

Staff who wish to transfer after serving a set period will also have their preferred department actively considered, giving them more options when choosing a new post.

Employees mobilized for emergency duty during natural disasters — including heavy rain, wildfires and heavy snowfall — will receive personnel benefits comparable to those in demanding or unpopular posts, including a shortened tenure-based promotion period.

The city plans to compare incentive schemes used by other cities and counties in North Gyeongsang Province, gather employee feedback and revise relevant regulations before finalizing implementation details.

"Someone has to take on work that draws heavy complaints, carries serious responsibility and demands round-the-clock fieldwork," Mayor Hwang said. "We cannot let the employees who do that feel they are being shortchanged on personnel decisions. I will make sure they genuinely feel the difference — from performance reviews to promotions to transfers."