"Stop the Crumbling Wall"... Mapo-gu 'Anything Consultation Desk' Resolves Resident Conflicts

Prompt response to complaints about collapsing residential walls due to monsoon and typhoon... 'Anything Consultation Desk' counselor persuades 12 stakeholders to reach construction cost agreement

After repairing the dangerous retaining wall in the residential area resolved through Mapo-gu's Anything Consultation Desk

[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] In mid-September, a call was received at the 'Anything Consultation Desk' located at the Hapjeong-dong Community Service Center in Mapo-gu (Mayor Yoo Dong-gyun).

The caller reported that due to the prolonged rainy season and typhoons during the summer, a wall between a multi-family house and a detached house in Hapjeong-dong had been gradually collapsing since early September, with gaps forming in the ground beneath the wall, creating a dangerous situation.

The caller, who is the owner of the detached house, had inquired with relevant authorities to resolve the issue but was told that since the land in question is private property, the government office could not provide any special solutions.

Meanwhile, the phenomenon of the wall tilting and the ground lifting continued, increasing safety risks and heightening anxiety among the residents living on either side of the wall.

As a last resort, the complainant sought help from the Anything Consultation Desk operated by Mapo-gu to resolve the problem.

Resident activist Kim Ji-young, who was working as a one-day consultant at the Anything Consultation Desk in Hapjeong-dong Community Service Center, promptly responded after receiving the complaint, judging the situation to be dangerous, and rushed to the site.

Consultant Kim met with all the owners of the multi-family house and the detached house separated by the wall to discuss possible solutions, but due to the financial burden of the repair work costing 4 million KRW, it was difficult to find a resolution among the residents.

Subsequently, Consultant Kim visited the 11 households living in the multi-family house and the detached house owner several times to persuade them, and after a total of five meetings, a compromise was reached.

The repair cost of 4 million KRW for the wall was agreed to be shared, with each of the 11 multi-family house owners paying 300,000 KRW, and the remaining 700,000 KRW covered by the detached house owner.

With the construction starting in mid-September, the staff in charge at the Hapjeong-dong Anything Consultation Desk and the one-day consultant closely monitored the progress to ensure safe completion, and as a result, all work was successfully finished on the 8th.

Although there had been potential conflicts among residents regarding the construction costs, the issue was ultimately resolved to everyone's satisfaction through the mediation of the Anything Consultation Desk consultant.

Mapo-gu (Mayor Yoo Dong-gyun) has been operating the 'Anything Consultation Desk' nationwide for the first time since February this year, aiming to help resolve residents' conflicts, concerns, and problems.

The consultation desks installed in all 16 neighborhoods of Mapo-gu handle not only issues under the district’s jurisdiction such as domestic violence, unemployment, neighbor disputes, inheritance, and custody changes but also personal matters that residents find difficult to resolve on their own.

The district is promoting ▲ the establishment of a computerized system for efficient management of consultation data ▲ training to improve staff counseling skills ▲ regular case management meetings ▲ formation of expert 'support task forces' by field ▲ and the use of local human resources as 'one-day consultants.'

Mayor Yoo Dong-gyun of Mapo-gu said, “The Anything Consultation Desk is a key part of the communication-focused administration in the 7th local government,” adding, “We will do our best to operate the consultation desk so that any resident can comfortably come forward, share their difficulties, and receive help.”

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