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브레이크뉴스 문홍철 기자= 최근 4년간 퇴직공직자들의 절반 가까이가 사기업체로 간 가운데, 주요 그룹 중 이들이 가장 많이 이동한 곳은 한화로 나타났다.
정부기관별로는 국방부 퇴직자가 최다였고, 경찰청, 검찰청, 금융감독원, 국세청 등 사정기관 출신들도 두드러졌다.
퇴직공직자는 공직자윤리법에 따라 취업제한 기간이 있으며, 퇴직 전 5년간 속했던 부서 업무와 밀접한 관련이 있는 기관·조직에는 퇴직 후 3년 간 취업할 수 없다. 이에 따라 인사혁신처가 퇴직공직자의 취업예정처와 직무·직위 등을 심사해 취업 가능 여부를 결정하고 그 결과를 공개하고 있다.
4일 리더스인덱스에 따르면 인사혁신처에 신고된 2022년 1월부터 2025년 9월까지의 취업심사 신청자를 전수조사한 결과, 총 3634명 중 3297명(90.7%)이 영리사기업·협회·공공기관 등에 대해 취업 승인 또는 가능 판정을 받은 것으로 파악됐다.
퇴직공직자의 취업기관을 유형별로 보면 대기업집단을 포함한 일반 사기업체가 47.5%(1567명)으로 전체의 절반 가까이를 차지했으며, 이 중 대기업집단 계열사가 19.2%(632명)에 달했다.
이어 공공기관 17.1%(564명), 법무법인 9.5%(313명), 협회 6.9%(226명), 금융사 5.3%(175명) 순이었다.
출신 기관별로는 국방부(12.9%)와 경찰청(11.6%)이 두 자릿수 비중으로 높았고 검찰청(5.5%), 금융감독원(4.9%), 국세청(4.5%)이 그 뒤를 이었다. 산업통상자원부(3.1%), 대통령비서실(2.7%), 국가정보원(2.2%) 출신 등도 타 분야 진출이 활발했다.
전통적으로 방위사업체 진출이 잦은 국방부 출신을 제외하면, 개별 기업 중에선 쿠팡이 가장 많았다. 자회사를 제외한 쿠팡 법인으로만 20명이 명단에 올랐는데, 경찰청 출신이 8명으로 최다였고, 대통령비서실 4명, 검찰청·공정위 출신이 각각 3명이었다.
가상자산 거래소 업계는 금융감독·규제 경험을 가진 전직 공무원들의 이동이 두드러졌다. 1위 거래소 ‘업비트’를 운영하는 두나무(14명)는 금융감독원 출신이 6명으로 가장 많았고, 경찰청 3명, 공정위·국무조정실 등의 인사도 포함됐다. 빗썸 역시 총 9명 가운데 금감원 출신이 7명으로 다수를 차지했으며, 경찰청·검찰청이 각각 1명씩이었다.
대기업집단(65개 그룹 632명) 중에서는 한화그룹이 11.6%(73명)로 가장 많았다. 다음으로 삼성(9.3%, 59명), 현대자동차(7.6%, 48명), LIG(5.1%, 32명), SK(4.4%, 28명), 한국항공우주산업(4.3%, 27명), 쿠팡(3.8%, 24명), LG(3.6%, 23명), 카카오(3.2%, 20명), 부영(3.0%, 19명) 등이었다. 이들 10곳이 전체 대기업집단 취업자의 절반 이상(353명)을 차지했다.
퇴직공직자 취업 1위인 한화는 국방부 출신이 28명으로 절대다수였다. 한화에어로스페이스(19명), 한화오션(15명), 한화시스템(13명) 등 방산 계열사에 집중됐다.
삼성은 경찰청 출신(12명)이 가장 많았으며, 삼성전자서비스·삼성전자·에스원 등 보안·법무 관련 직군에 분포했다.
현대자동차그룹은 국방부(11명)와 경찰청(5명) 출신 비중이 높았고, 현대로템·현대건설을 비롯해 금융 계열사에서 고문·전문위원 형태가 많았다.
LIG그룹은 국방부(13명), 국방과학연구소(9명) 등 군 관련 인력이 대부분으로, 방위산업체 LIG넥스원에 특히 몰렸다.
SK그룹은 경찰청(4명), 대통령비서실·검찰청·환경부(각 3명), 산업부·공정위·경호처(각 2명) 등 출신 배경이 비교적 다양했다.
한국항공우주산업(KAI)은 국방부 출신이 23명(85%)으로 압도적이었으며, 대부분 고문직 형태로 이름을 올렸다.
LG그룹은 경찰청(7명), 산업부(3명), 대통령비서실(2명) 출신 중심으로, LG전자·유플러스·에너지솔루션 등에 분포했다.
부영은 경찰청(6명), 외교부(3명), 국방부·지자체 출신 등이 다수로, 부영주택을 중심으로 고문·이사직이 주를 이뤘다.
퇴직공직자들은 법무법인 진출도 활발했다. 같은 기간 313명이 로펌업계 취업 명단에 포함됐다. 그 중 업계 7위 규모의 법무법인YK(79명, 25.2%)가 가장 많았으며, 2022년(32명)과 2023년(41명)에 집중됐다.
또한, 김앤장법률사무소(50명), 법무법인 세종(31명), 광장(24명), 대륙아주(23명), 율촌(22명), 태평양(21명) 순이었다. 태평양의 경우 특히 올해(2025년)에만 9명이 이름을 올렸다. 화우(18명), 바른·지평(각 5명) 등도 뒤를 이었다.
break9874@naver.com
*아래는 위 기사를 '구글 번역'으로 번역한 영문 기사의 [전문]입니다. 구글번역'은 이해도 높이기를 위해 노력하고 있습니다. 영문 번역에 오류가 있을 수 있음을 전제로 합니다.<*The following is [the full text] of the English article translated by 'Google Translate'. 'Google Translate' is working hard to improve understanding. It is assumed that there may be errors in the English translation.>
The top five companies for retired public officials moving into the private sector are Hanwha, Samsung, Hyundai Motor, LIG, and SK. The largest number are from the Ministry of National Defense.
Over the past four years, nearly half of retired public officials have moved to private companies, with Hanwha being the most popular destination among major conglomerates.
By government agency, retirees from the Ministry of National Defense comprised the largest proportion, followed by those from investigative agencies such as the National Police Agency, the Prosecutors' Office, the Financial Supervisory Service, and the National Tax Service.
Retired public officials are subject to employment restrictions under the Public Service Ethics Act, and are prohibited from working in any agency or organization closely related to the department they worked in for the five years prior to retirement for three years. Accordingly, the Ministry of Personnel Management (PMM) reviews the prospective employers, job titles, and other factors of retired public officials to determine their eligibility for employment and publicly discloses the results.
According to Leaders Index on the 4th, a comprehensive survey of employment screening applications submitted to the PMM from January 2022 to September 2025 revealed that 3,297 (90.7%) of the 3,634 applicants received approval or approval for employment with for-profit companies, associations, and public institutions.
By type of employment, retired public officials worked in private companies, including large conglomerates, accounting for nearly half (47.5%). Of these, affiliates of large conglomerates accounted for 19.2% (632).
Following this, public institutions accounted for 17.1% (564), law firms 9.5% (313), associations 6.9% (226), and financial institutions 5.3% (175).
By origin, the Ministry of National Defense (12.9%) and the National Police Agency (11.6%) accounted for the largest double-digit percentages, followed by the Prosecutors' Office (5.5%), the Financial Supervisory Service (4.9%), and the National Tax Service (4.5%). Alumni from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (3.1%), the Office of the President (2.7%), and the National Intelligence Service (2.2%) also actively pursued careers in other fields.
Excluding those from the Ministry of National Defense, who have traditionally frequently entered the defense industry, Coupang had the largest number of individuals among individual companies. Excluding subsidiaries, 20 individuals from Coupang's corporate entities were on the list. Eight individuals came from the National Police Agency, the largest number, followed by four from the Presidential Secretariat, and three each from the Prosecutors' Office and the Fair Trade Commission.
The virtual asset exchange industry saw a notable influx of former government officials with experience in financial supervision and regulation. Dunamu, which operates the leading exchange Upbit, had six individuals from the Financial Supervisory Service (14 individuals), followed by three from the National Police Agency, the Fair Trade Commission, and the Office for Government Policy Coordination. Bithumb also boasted a majority of its nine individuals, seven of whom came from the Financial Supervisory Service, followed by one from the National Police Agency and one from the Prosecutors' Office.
Among conglomerates (632 individuals from 65 conglomerates), Hanwha Group had the largest number, with 11.6% (73 individuals). Next came Samsung (9.3%, 59 employees), Hyundai Motor Company (7.6%, 48 employees), LIG (5.1%, 32 employees), SK (4.4%, 28 employees), Korea Aerospace Industries (4.3%, 27 employees), Coupang (3.8%, 24 employees), LG (3.6%, 23 employees), Kakao (3.2%, 20 employees), and Booyoung (3.0%, 19 employees). These ten companies accounted for more than half (353 employees) of all large conglomerates employed.
Hanwha, which ranked first in terms of employment of retired public officials, had an overwhelming majority of its employees, 28 from the Ministry of National Defense. The majority of these employees were employed by defense affiliates, including Hanwha Aerospace (19 employees), Hanwha Ocean (15 employees), and Hanwha Systems (13 employees).
Samsung had the largest number of former National Police Agency employees (12), with many working in security and legal positions at Samsung Electronics Service, Samsung Electronics, and S1.
Hyundai Motor Group had a significant proportion of former employees from the Ministry of National Defense (11) and the National Police Agency (5), with many holding advisory and expert positions at financial affiliates, including Hyundai Rotem and Hyundai Engineering & Construction.
LIG Group had a majority of military-related personnel, including those from the Ministry of National Defense (13) and the Agency for Defense Development (9), with a particular concentration at defense industry company LIG Nex1.
SK Group had a relatively diverse roster, with four from the National Police Agency, three each from the Presidential Secretariat, the Prosecutor's Office, and the Ministry of Environment, and two each from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, the Fair Trade Commission, and the Presidential Security Service.
Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) had an overwhelming 23 (85%) of former employees from the Ministry of National Defense, most of whom held advisory positions.
LG Group's employees were primarily from the National Police Agency (7), the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (3), and the Presidential Secretariat (2), with positions spread across LG Electronics, U+, and Energy Solutions.
Booyoung's employees included a majority from the National Police Agency (6), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (3), the Ministry of National Defense, and local governments. Most of the positions were held as advisors and directors, primarily at Booyoung Housing.
Retired public officials were also actively pursuing careers at law firms. During the same period, 313 people were listed on the list of law firm positions. Among them, YK Law Firm, the seventh-largest law firm in the industry (79, 25.2%), saw the largest number of new hires, with 32 new hires in 2022 and 41 new hires in 2023.
Kim & Chang (50 new hires), Sejong Law Firm (31 new hires), Lee & Ko (24 new hires), Daeryuk Aju (23 new hires), Yulchon (22 new hires), and Pacific Law (21 new hires) followed. In the Pacific region, nine people have been nominated this year alone (2025). Hwawoo (18 people), Barun, and Jiphyeong (5 people each) followed suit.
