Undergraduate Student of Korea University Business School passed the 36th Legislative Entrance Examination as the Top Applicant

Jung Ji-hyun (Business ‘15)

Jung Ji-hyun (Business ‘15), an undergraduate student who is a senior at Korea University Business School (hereinbelow KUBS), finally passed the 36th Legislative Qualification Examination in 2020 as the top applicant for administrative officer. The Legislative Qualification Examination is a competitive recruitment test for Grade 5 civil servants in the legislature conducted by the National Assembly Secretariat, with an average of only 15 people selected annually, including △ General Administration △ Legislation △ Finance and Economy.

Three students from Korea University, including Jung Ji-hyun, were listed on the list of 17 final successful candidates for the 36th legislative exam in 2020. In particular, they all heightened the status of Korea University by winning the titles "Top Applicant of Secretary of General Administration," "Top Applicant of Finance and Economy," and "The Youngest Successful Candidate of General Administration." Among them, Jung, who took the top position in the General Administration exam with a record competition ratio of 316.3 to 1, stood out even more.

KUBS met with Jung Ji-hyun, who was honored to be accepted as the top applicant and listened to her story.

Q. Congratulations on your acceptance! I wonder what motivated me to prepare for the Legislative Qualification Exam

When I first entered Korea University and thought about my career, I vaguely thought that I should try for public offiicial. Meanwhile, as I took the ‘Labor Management&Relations’ for major, I learned a lot of cases in which conflicts between different interest groups are resolved through laws and policies. Through this class, I thought about the importance of legislation and the role of the National Assembly in charge of legislation and revision. As a result, I became interested in the job of a public official in the National Assembly and naturally prepared for the Legislative Qualification examination.

Q. What do you think was the key to passing the exam as the top applicant?

I didn't expect to pass as the top student, but I think I was lucky. There are many students who are better than me, but I think the reason why I was able to take the top position is because of the even score distribution among subjects, While preparing for the exam, I thought that I would be able to pass the exam only if I could make the ability to write the answer without panic no matter what questions came out in the exam. That is why I tried to study to make up for my shortcomings in each subject.

For ‘Economics’, I studied lots of exam questions in order to fix my habit of making many calculation mistakes, and in the case of ‘Administrative Law’, I learned a lot from the latest judicial precedents so that I do not miss out on what the precedents emphasize. For ‘Public Administration’ and ‘Political Science’, I looked at the textbooks again and tried not to miss the basics, and for ‘Information System Theory’, I read the information white paper carefully and tried not to miss the latest trends. I think that studying evenly without focusing only on certain subjects led to an even score in the second round of the exam, allowing me to pass the top position.

Q. I wonder what was the most difficult part while preparing for the exam in uncertain situations, such as several delays due to COVID-19 in 2020, and how did you overcome that hardship?

Personally, it was the most difficult thing to prepare for both the first and second round subjects as the schedule for the Legislative Qualification Exam changed due to COVID-19. I had prepared the Grade 5 public recruitment (administrative exam) and the Legislative Qualification Exam together, but I failed both exams on the first round before 2020. Therefore, there was always a lot of anxiety about the first round, but in the case of the 2020 exam, the first round schedule was postponed to June, so I had to study the first and second round at the same time. Even if I passed the first round exam, without enough study for the second exam, I would have to study for the first and second rounds together.

I tried to overcome this difficult situation through regular life and the help of study mates. I had the burden of the test and fear of failing, but the time was tight for studying, and the amount of study I had to do per day was fixed, so I overcame this by studying with my study mates. I participated in the group study to manage my study schedule and solved the same problem with my friends so that I wouldn't be lazy. Studying steadily and regularly with friends whenever I was tired of studying alone was also the key to passing this exam.

Q. Any advice for juniors preparing for various exams?

I think all the juniors preparing for the Legislative Qualification Examination and other kinds of examinations are having a hard time. The examination process is also important, but the result of "passing" is the most important, so the study process seems to be more difficult. There are times when I doubt whether I'm doing well, and sometimes it's very depressing to think that I’m worse than others, but I think studying steadily without being shaken by the circumstances is the only shortcut to passing. I hope you remember that out of many test-takers, those who have studied steadily and hard will eventually pass. As it is an exam that you can't pass if you don't work hard, I hope you have faith in yourself and continue to study without forgetting your aspirations when you first started studying. If you keep working hard, you will definitely pass the exam. I hope all of your dreams of true!

Q. Could you give us a brief introduction and aspirations of your future work?

Those who have passed the Legislative Qualification Examination are assigned to the National Assembly Standing Committee, the National Assembly Budget Office, or the National Assembly Legislation Office to prepare review reports on bills and budget bills, assist the plenary session and general administrative affairs, and collect and provide basic data for legislation.

I don't know what kind of work I'll be in charge of in the future because I'm still waiting to be appointed due to my remaining studies, but I'll continue to make efforts to become a National Assembly official with both neutrality and expertise. Although I still lack a lot, I will always try to fill in the gaps with the attitude of learning and become a public official who serves the public interest.