government; the bureaucracy; government service
Refers to the government as an institution, the civil service, or the bureaucratic apparatus. Often used in compounds like 官僚 (bureaucrat) or 官庁 (government office).
He relies too much on the government.
Cooperation between the public and private sectors is necessary.
government post; government official
Refers to a position in government service or the person holding it. Often used in formal contexts or compounds like 高官 (high official) or 任官 (appointment to a post).
He resigned his government post.
The government official was arrested for corruption.
He resigned from his government post for health reasons.
He moved from government service to the private sector and joined an IT company.