Kim Soo-young, Yangcheon District Mayor, Shares Thoughts While Working from Home: "It's Not Easy..."

District Mayor Kim to Work from Home on the 2nd for Pilot Operation of Non-Face-to-Face Administrative Services in Preparation for Emergency Situations... Establishing a Shift-Based Work-from-Home Model Using Government Remote Work Services to Minimize Work Gaps and Effectively Practice Social Distancing

Yangcheon District Mayor Kim Su-young is reviewing related materials while working from home on the 2nd.

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] “Working from home is not easy. It is somewhat inconvenient and awkward, but we must prepare to block the spread of COVID-19 and prevent greater administrative losses in case of an emergency.”

This was the sentiment expressed by Kim Su-young, Mayor of Yangcheon-gu, while working from home on the 2nd.

Yangcheon-gu recently announced the implementation of a work-from-home system for all employees as a preemptive response to the recent elevation of social distancing to level 2.5 and the intensified social distancing measures, aiming to prevent further spread of infection.

From the 2nd to the 4th, a pilot program is underway where one-third of all employees work from home each day, and Mayor Kim Su-young has decided to participate in this initiative.

In fact, local governments have faced difficulties with remote work as they have been on the front lines managing confirmed cases, tracking movements, overseeing self-quarantine, conducting disinfection, and responding to various civil complaints during the COVID-19 crisis.

However, with the rapid increase in COVID-19 cases centered in the metropolitan area and the rise of undetected patients, public offices have been repeatedly closed, making the implementation of a work-from-home system an inevitable choice to prepare for emergency situations.

If a public official tests positive or a confirmed patient visits a public office, the office is closed for disinfection and thorough investigation, causing significant administrative losses and considerable inconvenience to residents.

Currently, about 1,300 public officials work at the district office and community service centers in Yangcheon-gu. By rotating one-third of all employees to work from home, excluding essential personnel such as those at health centers and disaster preparedness teams, it is expected that office density can be minimized.

Employees working from home use the government remote work service (GVPN) at their designated home locations. They submit a work plan before starting, report their work results after finishing, and receive office calls forwarded to their personal mobile phones to ensure continuous normal work performance.

Since the spread of COVID-19 this year, Yangcheon-gu has implemented staggered working hours for employees and converted all face-to-face meetings, including open district meetings and emergency response meetings, to non-face-to-face video conferences.

Additionally, efforts are continuously being made to conduct briefings and events online using YouTube and other social media platforms. Moreover, the district is adapting to a contactless and non-face-to-face culture by implementing non-contact book lending and counseling services, preparing for the post-COVID-19 era.

Mayor Kim Su-young emphasized, “Our daily lives have changed significantly due to the COVID-19 crisis that has lasted over half a year. A daily quarantine system for constant disaster and crisis preparedness has become normalized, and untact culture such as remote lectures and working from home is spreading. It is time to prepare administrative services in a non-face-to-face manner as well.”

“Yangcheon-gu will promote measures to effectively practice social distancing while minimizing work gaps through the activation of remote work and remote meetings using smart technology. Above all, we will always keep in mind the essence of administrative services for our residents and prepare non-face-to-face administrative services to ensure that the lives of 460,000 residents are not inconvenienced,” he added.

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