The entry-level salary for the seven financial firms stood at 43.76 million won last year, 26.7 percent larger than the average for all the state-run companies, according to the data.

In response to simmering criticism for their lax management and the government's tightened regulations, the financial firms lowered the annual payment 0.25 percent on-year to 84.87 million won in 2014. It was the first cut since 2010 when the relevant data started to be compiled.

But they soon shifted their course to raise yearly salaries 9.7 percent on average since then, compared to a 5.5 percent rise by general state-run companies over the past three years, according to the latest findings.

The public financial firms affiliated with the Financial Services Commission, the country's top financial regulator, have often been called "the workplace for the gods," for their good pay and excellent job security.

Meanwhile, there is a yawning gap in the salaries between male and female workers at those public financial entities.

The male employees received an average of 98.04 million won in 2017, receiving 44.56 percent more than their female counterparts whose income came to 67.82 million won, according to the ALIO data.

The gap seems attributable to career breaks among the women due to maternity leaves, among other issues, and subsequent delays in promotions.

In fact, the average period of continuous service among male employees stood at 16.18 years, but that for their female workers was 9.92 years, the data showed.

The so-called glass ceiling for women is also seen as affecting the income gap.

In case of the KDB, not a single woman held the 110 top-level managerial positions. For the second-tier positions, the firm had 364 male workers and eight women, according to the data. (Yonhap)