By Jane Han
Staff Reporter

Thirty-eight-year-old Kim, who asked for his full name not to be disclosed, has been a civil servant for the past five years. As one of the first waves of former President Roh Moo-hyun's generous new hires, he was almost certain to enjoy a lifelong government career ― until his boss changed last week.

``I'm trembling because I feel my job won't make the `efficiency cut,''' said Kim, who was recruited as a junior-level communications support staff at one of the central ministries.

Kim, a father of two, said he's recently been getting butterflies in his stomach on his way to work because no one knows exactly when any official announcement on cutbacks will be made.

And he's not alone in that fear, now that President Lee Myung-bak administration's restructuring plan is feeling more like a reality.

``I thought I would be immune from this type of worry because I took so much pride in my job security,'' said another junior-level employee at the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries.

In Korea, civil servants are traditionally known to enjoy a lifelong career of stability and security, so the recent layoff frenzy has been an unprecedented threat for many.

Among those affected, the construction ministry is expected to bleed the most with nearly 600 out of 4,000 workers estimated for layoffs this year. But in between all the vulnerable ministries and state agencies, a total of about 3,700 employees will be left up in the air.

Officials handling personnel decision gloss over the situation, saying employees will be channeled into other ``useful functions'' such as task forces, but those under the knife share a general understanding.

``Let's face it,'' says Cho, a ranking official at one ministry, ``whichever way they tell you the news, the ultimate meaning is the same.''

But he gave another perspective to the perilous situation, saying that even if retained, life won't be easy either.

``What we're going to have is these giant regrouped ministries with people stepping on each other's toes,'' he said. ``It's going to be a turf-war survival game for a while. Who wants to be in on that?''

The conservative administration is seeking to trim 10 percent off its budget and cut government payrolls through attrition, a major U-turn from the Roh administration's budget expansion.

Many civil servants seem to be looking to alternative options ― the number of registered resumes jumped 42 percent over the past month at online recruiter Incruit

They feel that transferring to private companies will be a smart move during Lee's administration, as it seems clear that corporate life will be much better under the new ``CEO president.''

In the meantime, the Ministry of Construction and Transportation, in an effort to fend off rumors, officially released a statement last week, explaining that layoff figures will be a lot less than anticipated. It added that further details will come around the middle of the month.

jhan@koreatimes.co.kr