Mapo-gu Mayor Yudonggyun: Why Did He Create the 'Anything Consultation Desk'?

From minor daily life complaints to basic welfare consultations for survival... Dedicated staff with extensive administrative experience assigned to 16 neighborhood community centers and district office civil affairs and passport departments... All received complaints are interviewed, followed up, and linked to case management if necessary

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Last November, a heartbreaking incident occurred in a multi-family house in Seongbuk-gu where a mother and her three daughters made an extreme choice due to financial hardship. What makes this incident even more tragic is that the family had received counseling at the community center four months before the accident, but because the period of overdue health insurance premiums was short, they were not identified as a welfare crisis household and thus did not receive appropriate support.

Mapo-gu is addressing such limitations by operating the 'Ask Anything Consultation Desk' to serve as a welfare stepping stone until residents in crisis within welfare blind spots can receive institutional assistance, and furthermore, to help resolve various inconveniences in daily life.

"Ask Anything. The Community Center Will Help You."

Mapo-gu (Mayor Yoo Dong-gyun) has established and is operating the 'Ask Anything Consultation Desk,' an integrated communication window that provides consultation and assistance on anything from minor daily civil complaints to welfare counseling necessary for basic survival, at 16 community centers across the district and the Civil Affairs and Passport Division of the district office starting this month.

The 'Ask Anything Consultation Desk' is the district's top priority project this year, embodying Mayor Yoo Dong-gyun's belief in emphasizing life-centered administration through communication and innovation.

Although specialized consultation desks for welfare, legal, and tax matters have existed before, this is the first attempt nationwide among local governments to actively provide consultation and solutions on 'anything' residents are curious about or need, regardless of the type, severity, or responsible institution of the civil complaint.

Residents visiting the 'Ask Anything Consultation Desk' at the 16 community centers and the district office's Civil Affairs and Passport Division can receive consultations on various general civil matters such as welfare, housing, health, sanitation, employment, disaster safety, culture, and tourism, as well as district policy projects like the MH Mapo Housing project and free school uniform support program.

Moreover, even if the issues fall outside the district's jurisdiction, such as debt-related financial problems, crime victim support, and psychological counseling, dedicated staff will provide consultation and connect residents to the appropriate agencies for resolution. Unresolved consultations will be continuously managed through follow-up consultations and welfare checks. In this way, the 'Ask Anything Consultation Desk' plans to operate as a 'public total care system' that goes beyond simple complaint handling by managing all received civil complaints afterward and linking them to case management when necessary.

To ensure the stable early settlement of the 'Ask Anything Consultation Desk,' the district has assigned six-grade public officials with over 15 years of rich administrative experience as dedicated staff. These officials will leverage their know-how to actively serve as helpers for residents in welfare blind spots and various difficulties, as well as reception desks that discover third-party hardships and report them to relevant departments.

Kang Ji-young (pseudonym), who lives in Seongsan 2-dong, expressed her expectations, saying, "I have been struggling with noise issues from the upstairs neighbors who moved in a few weeks ago. We have talked several times but couldn't find a compromise, and the conflict was deepening. Now, I think I should visit the 'Ask Anything Consultation Desk'."

Before the official launch of the 'Ask Anything Consultation Desk,' the district held a kickoff ceremony on the afternoon of the 30th of last month at the audiovisual room of Mapo-gu Office, chanting the slogan "Ask Anything. The Community Center Will Help You" with 34 dedicated staff members. Special training was also conducted to enhance the empathy and capabilities of the dedicated staff.

Attending the kickoff ceremony, Mayor Yoo Dong-gyun of Mapo-gu stated, "We live in an era where the national income per capita is $30,000, but there are still many neighbors around us who need help. Not only on issues related to the right to survival but also on everything residents are curious about or need, we will realize warm-hearted administration by starting with the 'Ask Anything Consultation Desk' to think together and solve problems."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.