Officials Still Harassed by Malicious Complaints... Body Cameras and Other Measures Have 'Limits'

On the 21st of last month, a public official in his 30s, Mr. A, was assaulted at the Jinhae District Office in Changwon City. He was attacked by a man in his late 40s, Mr. B, who had come to file a complaint regarding the cancellation of a building permit. After Mr. A noticed that Mr. B, who had come on behalf of his family, had forgotten to bring one required document, he instructed him to return with the document. Mr. B then became irritated and suddenly lunged to grab Mr. A by the nape of his neck. The chair Mr. A was sitting on toppled over, causing Mr. B to fall as well. Mr. A sustained injuries requiring two weeks of medical treatment, and the police have booked Mr. B on charges of obstructing official duties.

As public officials have voiced difficulties dealing with malicious complainants who engage in verbal abuse and physical assault, the government has implemented several measures since April this year, including the operation of body cameras and litigation support. However, frontline public officials continue to point out that these measures lack effectiveness.

According to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety on the 4th, there were a total of 41,559 illegal acts committed by complainants against public officials last year. Although this number decreased compared to 51,883 cases in 2021, it remains significant when compared to 34,484 cases in 2018 and 38,054 cases in 2019. By type of act, verbal abuse and threats have decreased, but direct physical assaults have increased. Among illegal acts by complainants, assaults numbered 363 cases, about 2.5 times higher than the previous year’s 146 cases. The most frequent verbal abuses totaled 36,180 cases, about 3,000 fewer than the previous year. Other categories, including threats (3,829 cases), possession of dangerous items, and disturbances caused by intoxication (679 cases), also decreased by approximately 3,000 cases each.

In response to the issue of malicious complainants targeting public officials, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety implemented a revised Enforcement Decree of the Civil Complaints Handling Act starting in April. According to the revised decree, heads of administrative agencies must operate portable audio-video recording devices, i.e., 'body cameras,' to collect evidence and take measures such as ejecting malicious complainants or separating the complainant from the public official. Additionally, public officials can receive litigation support when filing complaints, charges, or claims for damages related to malicious complaints. Local governments have also conducted complaint response training accordingly. For example, Songpa District in Seoul conducted 'Communication-Impaired Special Complaint Response Training' for its public officials in May and distributed body cameras to community service centers. Districts such as Gwanak, Yangcheon, and Geumcheon also provided joint training with the police on responding to malicious complainants or deployed body cameras.

However, malicious complaints against public officials continue. On the 14th of last month, a woman in her 20s, Ms. C, struck a public official’s head and face with her hands at the Criminal Affairs Office of Cheongju District Court, expressing dissatisfaction with complaint handling. The official, who had been assigned only a month prior, sustained severe facial injuries and underwent suturing surgery. On the 28th of last month, the Cheongju District Prosecutor’s Office indicted Ms. C on charges of obstructing official duties and assault, detaining her in custody.

Despite institutional improvements, frontline public officials have expressed skepticism about the ongoing malicious complaints. The decree stipulates that body cameras must be operated only when assault is likely or has occurred, making it difficult to fundamentally prevent malicious complaints. Some local governments have issued guidelines requiring prior notification before recording, such as saying, "Sir/Madam, this consultation is being recorded. Please speak carefully." Public official Ms. Jin (30, female) said, "I worry that prior notification might provoke complainants," and added, "Even if officials and complainants are separated, another official will inevitably face the malicious complainant." Mr. Song (32, male), another public official, said, "Malicious complainants who verbally abuse and assault officials do not care about body cameras, so ultimately, cases have to be resolved through litigation," and added, "Litigation support takes a long time, and it is hard to believe that agency heads will actively support frontline officials."

Experts also point out that equipment like body cameras alone has limitations in solving the problem of malicious complainants. Professor Kim Yong-cheol of the Department of Public Administration at Pusan National University said, "Body cameras only collect evidence after malicious complaints occur; they do not protect officials from angry complainants," and added, "For those who deliberately visit repeatedly with the same malicious complaints and cause disturbances, methods such as restricting access to prevent harm at the source should be considered." Professor Kim Do-woo of the Department of Police Science at Gyeongnam National University said, "Malicious complaints against public officials also negatively affect honest citizens who visit government offices for complaints," and emphasized, "Security should be strengthened against malicious complaints at government offices by adding security personnel authorized under the Security Services Act, in addition to security guards."

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