Junggu 'Dedicated Bulk Issuance Counter' Operation Reduces Bulk Issuance Volume at Community Centers by 53%

'Installation and Operation of "Smart Jung-gu Unmanned Civil Service Issuance ZONE," Free Fees... "Visiting Civil Document Delivery Service" Expanded Citywide from July'

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Jung-gu (District Mayor Seo Yang-ho) has launched a major innovation in civil service administration by efficiently reducing face-to-face civil service tasks and expanding non-face-to-face services in line with the changes brought by COVID-19.

With the development of the 4th industrial revolution, the methods of handling civil complaints are changing, including the increase in online civil service and the use of unmanned civil service issuance machines. Accordingly, the district began reorganizing civil service administration last year and is accelerating the development of a new model of civil service administration this year by adding projects that consider changes due to COVID-19. This aims to implement services that satisfy both residents and staff by strengthening resident- and life-oriented business functions, providing customized visiting services, and improving work structures. Some projects have already shown visible results since their inception.

◆ The only "Dedicated Window for Bulk Issuance" nationwide reduces bulk issuance volume at community centers by 53%

The first notable project is the civil document "Dedicated Window for Bulk Issuance," established and operated since February 3 this year, which has received positive responses. It is the first and only one of its kind among local governments nationwide.

The "Dedicated Window for Bulk Issuance" refers to a counter where up to 100 copies of resident registration certificates, extracts, etc., related to creditors, debtors, and litigation stakeholders can be issued per applicant (company) per day.

Currently, regulations limit civil document issuance companies to 20 copies per day at one location, requiring visits to multiple community centers to complete all document issuance. As a result, if two employees from related companies visit a community center staffed by an average of 2-3 people, civil service work often becomes paralyzed for a while. The situation during lunch breaks, when shifts change, is even more severe. The waiting time for residents to receive a single document varies widely from a few minutes to several tens of minutes, which also causes complaints.

In response, the district proposed a solution. The Civil Service and Passport Division operates the "Dedicated Window for Bulk Issuance" to absorb the demand for bulk issuance civil complaints that previously required visits to multiple community centers.

They signed memorandums of understanding (MOUs) with companies to expand the issuance limit from 20 to 100 copies per day and encouraged them to use the dedicated window set up at the district office instead of community centers. Companies located in Jung-gu that have issued civil documents in Jung-gu are eligible for the agreement.

Thanks to this, as of the end of May, the volume of bulk civil document issuance at community centers has decreased by 53%, significantly reducing the workload at civil service counters. The number of companies that signed MOUs increased from 7 at the start to 26, proving the project's effectiveness.

Stakeholders responded with comments such as "The hassle of visiting multiple neighborhoods has decreased," "It's good not to have to worry about general civil service users," and "I hope other district offices benchmark this." Community center staff also expressed encouraging feedback, saying, "The workload has been reduced, so everyone is satisfied. Above all, it was uncomfortable to see civil service users waiting endlessly due to bulk issuance demands, but this has improved, which is good."

◆ Unmanned civil document issuance machines will be available at all neighborhood community centers in Jung-gu

The second project is the installation and operation of the "Smart Jung-gu Unmanned Civil Document Issuance ZONE." As a result, citizens will be able to use unmanned civil document issuance machines at all community centers in Jung-gu.

The "Unmanned Civil Document Issuance ZONE" is a booth equipped with unmanned civil document issuance machines and dedicated Government24 PCs, allowing 24-hour issuance of civil documents regardless of community center working hours. Over 80 types of documents can be issued. To improve accessibility, machines will be installed outside community centers first, and in places where conditions are difficult, inside the centers. The project started construction in July and is scheduled for completion in August.

Additionally, in June, the district revised the "Seoul Metropolitan City Jung-gu Fee Collection Ordinance" to include provisions for free issuance of resident registration certificates, extracts, family relation registers, and family registers via unmanned civil document issuance machines, laying the foundation to activate the use of these machines.

Many households have difficulties printing due to malfunctioning printers, but this problem can now be resolved with the establishment of the "Smart Jung-gu Unmanned Civil Document Issuance ZONE."

◆ "Visiting Civil Document Delivery Service" piloted in 3 neighborhoods, expanded to all neighborhoods from this month

The third project is the "Visiting Civil Document Delivery Service." This service delivers civil documents such as resident registration certificates, extracts, and family relation certificates directly to the address within 3 hours for vulnerable groups who have difficulty accessing facilities or information.

The target groups are persons with disabilities, seniors aged 70 or older, and pregnant women. Based on pilot operations in Cheonggu, Hwanghak, and Jungnim neighborhoods, the service will be expanded to all neighborhoods starting this month. Along with document delivery, the service checks on the well-being of vulnerable groups during visits and links with care services to immediately address emergencies or welfare needs if they arise.

◆ Plans for civil service counter workload reduction and operation of visiting integrated civil service offices

Other initiatives include the "Civil Service Counter Workload Diet," which reallocates staff from civil service counters to welfare and communication enhancement tasks by reducing workload, the "Visiting Integrated Civil Service Office," which provides services residents want all at once anywhere they go, and projects to promote Government24 and electronic certificates suitable for the non-face-to-face and 4th industrial revolution era to improve satisfaction in civil service administration. Furthermore, if the workload at civil service counters decreases due to these projects, the district plans to consider a "Lunch Break Closure System" to guarantee staff rest time.

The background of these changes in civil service administration lies in the effective implementation of the neighborhood government project, first promoted nationwide by Jung-gu last year. By efficiently reorganizing civil service tasks at community centers, the saved administrative resources will be invested in strengthening public service areas such as village cleaning, parking issues, park management, small library operations, and community center management, which residents can feel in their daily lives.

Seo Yang-ho, Mayor of Jung-gu, said, "We plan to improve work efficiency and satisfaction simultaneously by adopting non-face-to-face methods suitable for the post-COVID-19 era. We will further strengthen resident- and life-oriented business functions, provide visiting services for those who experience inconvenience in mobility and information access, and continuously promote various civil service administration innovation projects to ensure high-quality public services, including guaranteeing staff rest time."

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