Cross-country comparison
LEF-3 (South Korea) vs GS-12 (United States)
South Korea · 공무원보수규정 별표 (11 salary schedules)
LEF-3
경찰·소방 (경무관) — Police and Fire officers — 10 ranks from Superintendent General (치안정감/소방정감) down to Patrol Officer (순경/소방사).
₩50,012,400 – ₩86,037,600
FY 2026 · annual base · KRW
View full LEF-3 detail →United States · General Schedule (GS)
GS-12
Senior specialist and first-line supervisor level. Most common grade for experienced federal professionals.
$76,463 – $99,404
FY 2026 · annual base · USD
View full GS-12 detail →How they compare
A LEF-3 in the South Korea federal civil service earns between ₩50,012,400 and ₩86,037,600 per year at base rates, while a GS-12 in the United States federal civil service earns between $76,463 and $99,404. Both figures are annual base in each country’s currency, before locality adjustments, allowances, or bonuses.
Responsibilities at these grades are not directly comparable — each country’s civil service uses its own classification framework. See the linked authoritative sources for role scoping.