Four out of 10 job seekers in their 20s and 30s have prepared for state tests to become a civil servant, a poll showed Friday, a sign that government jobs are popular in South Korea amid growing job insecurity.

The leading online job search portal JobKorea said its poll of 1,083 young people showed that 42.9 percent had prepared for the state tests.

Among them, 23.5 percent said they have recently dropped their plans due mainly to fierce competition and the high costs needed for study.

The poll said 19.4 percent said they are still studying for the test due to the potential for job security, good welfare and a good work environment.

Government data showed that 1.27 million people applied for the test for public jobs over the past five years, and among them 18,510 aspirants passed the tests.

In South Korea, a civil servant's job has been traditionally called an "iron rice bowl," a guarantee of lifetime employment. (Yonhap)