'Hwaseong City Citizen Ombudsman' Becomes Problem Solver for Civil Complaints

Proposing Solutions Between Complainants and City Officials
Also Mediating Conflicts Between Residents and Institutions

'Problem Solver.' This is the nickname given to the Citizen Ombudsman operated by Hwaseong City, Gyeonggi Province.

Mr. A, who tried to get a loan using his farmland as collateral, was denied a loan by the bank due to a mortgage lien he was unaware of. The lien had been registered under the name of the Hwaseong Mayor 10 years ago on the official registry. Mr. A visited the city hall civil service office but was unable to find out the details of the lien's establishment, and related documents were not kept, leaving him in a difficult situation.

Following the civil service office's recommendation, Mr. A visited the 'Citizen Ombudsman' to seek help. Through consultation, Mr. A requested fact-finding inquiries from seven departments within the city hall that were likely to have established the mortgage lien on his farmland. During this process, an employee from Department C found relevant documents in the department’s records and confirmed that the cause of the mortgage lien had been resolved.

As a result, Mr. A was able to cancel the mortgage lien on his farmland and successfully obtain the bank loan. He said, "I didn’t know where to start solving the problem, but the Ombudsman actively found a solution, and I was able to resolve it."

The Citizen Ombudsman operated by Hwaseong City consists of five appointed members and three public officials. The Ombudsman not only provides consultation for citizens unfamiliar with laws and regulations but also devises specific measures to handle complaints forwarded from Gyeonggi Province or the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission.

The Ombudsman plays a practical role in resolving various complaints. For example, they found documents related to the change of use for the village hall site in Paltan-myeon together with the general affairs team leader of Paltan-myeon in the document storage and organized the cadastral records. In a dispute over an access road between residents in Yanggam-myeon, the Ombudsman acted as a mediator. The Ombudsman members visited the site and sought a compromise through dialogue with the residents, resolving the conflict.

They also resolved conflicts surrounding the management entity of the Seodongtan Station facilities. The Ombudsman members held on-site meetings with the heads of the relevant departments to explore various solutions and, through cooperation with political circles, secured cooperation from Korea Railroad Corporation.

Meanwhile, citizens and complainants who wish to consult with the Ombudsman can visit the Citizen Ombudsman Office directly or apply by mail. Complaints can also be submitted and answered through the Hwaseong City Hall website.

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