Diplomat Candidate Selection Exam (Korea)

⚖️ Law By CampusDown Wiki Editorial Team Last updated October 26, 2026

Korea's Diplomat Candidate Selection Exam, run by the Ministry of Personnel Management, picks diplomat candidates who are appointed as grade 5 foreign service officers after completing the Korea National Diplomatic Academy program.

Contents

1. Background
2. Stages
3. FAQ
4. References

Background

In 2013 the Foreign Service Exam was replaced with this exam plus about a year of training and evaluation at the Korea National Diplomatic Academy.

Stages

Stage one is the PSAT and constitutional law, with English, Korean history and a second foreign language replaced by certificates. Stage two has essays in international politics, international law and economics, and stage three is an in-depth interview. Roughly 40 to 50 are selected each year.

FAQ

Same as the old exam?: It replaced it in 2013.
Am I a diplomat right away?: Only after the KNDA course.

Sources reviewed: 2026-10-26

References

외무공무원법, 국가법령정보센터. https://www.law.go.kr
인사혁신처 사이버국가고시센터. https://www.gosi.kr
국립외교원. https://www.knda.go.kr

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This article was last updated on October 26, 2026. It is based on widely recognized original works and textbooks; when citing it in a paper, please check the original sources listed in the references.