"Let Civil Servants Eat Comfortably" vs "Shift Work Is Enough": 'Lunch Break Off System' Gradually Introduced Amid Ongoing Opposition

Some Local Governments to Introduce 'Lunch Break Closure System' from Next Year
"Resolving Civil Complaints is Top Priority" "Job Characteristics Must Be Considered" Citizens Oppose
Experts Say "Thorough Review and Citizen Persuasion Needed"

Notice board indicating lunch break closure of civil service from noon to 1 PM./Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Joo-hee] As more local governments introduce or pilot a 'lunch break closure system' that suspends civil complaint services during lunch hours, attention is focused on whether it will spread nationwide in the future. The purpose is to "guarantee the right of public officials to rest," but some criticize it for not considering the inconvenience to citizens. Experts suggest that the implementation of the lunch break closure system should proceed in a way that minimizes inconvenience to citizens.

Last November, 10 districts and counties including Jung-gu in Busan and Gijang-gun announced that they would introduce the lunch break closure system starting January 1 next year. Accordingly, civil complaint services at administrative welfare centers or district offices will be suspended from noon to 1 p.m. During the suspension of services, efforts will be made to minimize citizen inconvenience by increasing unmanned civil complaint issuance machines and continuing related promotions and guidance.

Article 2, Paragraph 2 of the current Local Public Officials Work Regulations stipulates that the lunch break for public officials is from noon to 1 p.m. However, considering the nature of duties, region, or the characteristics of the institution, lunch breaks can be flexibly operated within a one-hour range if necessary. Most local governments have set lunch hours from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and have handled civil complaint services by working in shifts.

Five local governments under Gwangju City have also been implementing the lunch break closure system since last July. In addition, Gongju City and Buyeo County in Chungnam Province have piloted the lunch break closure system, and Hapcheon and Haman counties in Gyeongnam Province announced plans to pilot it starting January 1 next year.

As the lunch break closure system expands mainly in some local governments, attention is focused on whether it will be implemented nationwide, but opinions among citizens are divided. While some argue that "public officials also have the right to eat comfortably," there are many opposing views saying, "Isn't handling citizens' complaints the top priority of public officials?" Especially, citizens living in the Seoul metropolitan area, which has a relatively large population, are strongly opposed.

Since the implementation of the lunch break closure system in July, the Suwan-dong Administrative Welfare Center in Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju, has turned off the lights at the civil service counters at noon. Photo by Yonhap News

Kim, a man in his 30s living in Seoul, said, "I think working in shifts is enough. Firefighters and police officers don't work considering lunch breaks, do they?" He added, "Banks still operate during lunch hours. Isn't it because they are essential activities closely related to citizens' lives? We need to consider the nature of the public official profession. Even ordinary office workers often cannot have lunch from noon to 1 p.m. depending on the situation."

However, the public officials' union insists that regular lunch breaks must be guaranteed. Kim Su-jin, head of the Gwangju branch of the National Public Officials Union, explained in an interview with CBS Radio's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show' last April, "(The one-hour lunch break) is realistically not guaranteed. The structure is such that work must stop for a moment to have a meal."

She continued, "Community service centers handle a huge amount of personal information, and certain public officials uniquely hold authority over specific tasks," adding, "Even if working in shifts, other public officials do not have the authority to substitute those tasks. Therefore, a uniform break from noon to 1 p.m. is necessary."

On the other hand, there are claims that civil complaints can be sufficiently handled through shift work. Kim, a 29-year-old public official with five years of experience at a district office in Incheon, said, "Due to the nature of local government work, visits and phone complaints are frontline tasks, so it is impossible to take a break exactly from noon to 1 p.m." He added, "Although it may vary slightly by local government, I have never thought shift work during lunch was particularly unfair or inconvenient."

Experts suggest that the implementation of the lunch break closure system should proceed in a way that minimizes inconvenience to citizens. Professor Lee Seok-hwan of Hanyang University's Department of Public Policy said, "The lunch break closure system will likely be problematic in urban areas with relatively large populations. Many office workers use lunch hours for civil complaints, so if government offices close, they will have to take half-days off or use other methods, inevitably causing inconvenience."

He added, "The lunch break issue is something that public officials may have to endure some inconvenience due to the nature of their duties. However, if the lunch break closure system is absolutely necessary, sufficient internal discussion and review within local governments are required. Also, there must be a process of persuading citizens and reaching social consensus."

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