Gangnam-gu Releases 2024 Edition of the ‘Happiness Connection Work Manual’ Loved by MZ Public Officials

Expansion of Social Security Benefit Consultation, Investigation, and Decision Tasks: Addition of This Year's Management Menu and Updated Guidelines, Increasing Table of Contents from 71 to 92 Items

Gangnam-gu (District Mayor Jo Seong-myeong) has revised and supplemented the ‘Haengbokieum User Work Manual,’ which was first published nationwide last year and received great acclaim from local government officials across the country, to produce the 2024 edition.

The Haengbokieum system, which handles social security benefit tasks, lacked a practical manual suitable for new staff to immediately perform their duties despite the vast amount of work involved.

To address this issue, Gangnam-gu employees joined forces to create an in-house manual containing their accumulated know-how, attracting significant attention. Moving away from merely listing text explanations, the manual visualizes the work screens as they are and explains the input content with numbered steps for easy understanding. At the bottom of each page, the ‘Bimil Tongno (Secret Integrated Investigation Team Know-how)’ section highlights related work guidelines, precautions, and common mistakes made by beginners.

This booklet caused a great sensation among frontline public officials nationwide who had struggled to learn the work manuals. There were inquiries and thank-you calls asking if the booklet, distributed as a PDF file, could be used for staff training. In particular, it was highly evaluated that the manual greatly helped new employees born in the 1990s, who tend to be individualistic, to learn the work on their own. Encouraged by this support, the district published a new booklet this year reflecting the updated work guidelines.

The 2024 edition includes a newly added ‘Management’ manual. The management tasks following social security benefit application, investigation, and decision involve identifying and reflecting changes in income, property, and other factors that serve as the basis for benefits. Since this area often involves complaints related to benefit suspension, a detailed manual is expected to help reduce mistakes and errors by the person in charge.

Additionally, the manual reflects the relaxed welfare benefit standards according to the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s ‘2024 Basic Livelihood Security Comprehensive Plan.’ As a result, the number of chapters expanded significantly from 71 in the previous booklet to 92 this time.

The district produced 200 copies of the booklet and distributed them to 22 community service centers and work managers. On March 14, the booklet files were distributed to all 244 local governments nationwide (cities, counties, and districts) and the National Social Welfare Administration Research Association. Based on the booklet, in-house training will be conducted for 190 social welfare officials until the 29th. Moving forward, the booklet will be actively used for work handovers and new employee training to strengthen work capabilities.

Jo Seong-myeong, Mayor of Gangnam-gu, stated, “I am pleased to hear that the manual developed by Gangnam-gu public officials to overcome field challenges has been helpful to other local governments. Just as we have continuously supplemented and improved the manual to release this revised edition rather than stopping at one achievement, we will always work with a passionate attitude to provide high-quality welfare services to our residents.”

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