"Why Didn't You Check Snow Removal?" Assault... Public Officials Suffering from Malicious Complaints

Illegal Acts by Complainants Increasing Annually... Verbal Abuse and Insults Most Common
Public Officials' Union Urges Measures to Protect Public Servants

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunju Park] Civil servants continue to experience verbal abuse and physical assault from malicious complainants during the complaint handling process.

On the 20th, at an administrative welfare center in Cheonan, Chungnam, a man in his 50s, dissatisfied with a complaint, caused a disturbance and slapped a civil servant. Mr. A, who had received five bags of calcium chloride the day before after requesting snow removal work, returned to the administrative welfare center that day, verbally abused staff for not checking whether the snow removal had been done, and assaulted four civil servants who tried to stop him.

On the 9th, another male complainant in his 50s caused a disturbance and assaulted a civil servant who tried to intervene. Mr. B, dissatisfied with a passport issued by another local government, went to the office, shouting loudly and threatening employees while moving between the 1st to 3rd floors of the building and in front of the complaint desk for about 4 to 5 minutes. A civil servant in his 20s, Mr. C, approached to stop Mr. B but was slapped in the face, staggered, and fell down. Another employee pressed the emergency call device installed in the office to call the police, and the disturbance was only resolved after the police arrived.

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced that it will implement the revised Enforcement Decree of the Act on Civil Petitions Processing starting July 12. Photo by Yonhap News

Illegal acts by complainants occurring at frontline sites are increasing every year. According to a survey by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, the number of illegal acts such as verbal abuse, insults, assault, and sexual harassment occurring in telephone and in-person complaints were approximately 38,000 cases in 2019, 46,000 cases in 2020, and 52,000 cases in 2021. Among the types, verbal abuse and insults were the most frequent, followed by threats, assault, sexual harassment, and property damage.

The civil servants' union is urging strict punishment for perpetrators and the establishment of measures to protect civil servants from malicious complainants.

The Cheonan City Civil Servants' Union stated in a press release, "We demand thorough investigation and strict punishment of perpetrators who obstruct legitimate official duties and trample on the human rights of civil servants."

As calls for creating a safe complaint environment grow louder, the government amended the 'Enforcement Decree of the Act on the Handling of Complaints' in July. Safety equipment such as video information processing devices, call devices, and protective voice guidance can be installed in complaint offices to ensure the safety of complaint handlers, and safety personnel can be assigned.

Additionally, portable video and audio recording devices and recording phones can be operated to collect evidence in cases of verbal abuse or assault, and physical and mental treatment and counseling support are provided to victimized civil servants.

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