"Putting Integrity First"... Gangseo District Introduces Anonymous Reporting and Mobile Survey

Entrusting an External Agency to Protect Whistleblowers
Gathering Residents' Opinions through "Integrity YES Talk"

Gangseo District in Seoul has newly introduced an online anonymous reporting system and a mobile survey called "Integrity YES Talk" to prevent corruption and enhance integrity.

Jin Kyohun, Mayor of Gangseo District. Provided by Gangseo District.

The district explained that in a recent employee survey, many expressed concerns about possible disadvantages due to identity exposure when reporting wrongdoing. In response, the district has commissioned an external professional agency to establish a completely anonymous system that does not retain any personal information. This system utilizes advanced security technology so that identifying information such as IP addresses is not stored, and even the audit department cannot know the identity of the reporter, thereby providing stronger protection for whistleblowers.

Previously, reports of misconduct were received through the reporting channels of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission or the district's audit department. However, the structure left behind personal information such as IP addresses, which discouraged many from reporting. There was also a significant psychological burden because audit staff could identify the reporter.

The new system can be easily accessed via both PC and mobile devices, and all report contents are encrypted and delivered to the audit department through the external agency. The scope of reports covers all types of public official misconduct, including bribery, acceptance of entertainment, provision of special favors, unfair instructions, abuse of authority, and workplace harassment. The district began implementing this system in May and will conduct a mock reporting drill for all employees in June. After the pilot operation, the district plans to expand access so that all residents can use the system.

Additionally, Gangseo District has replaced its previous telephone-based integrity survey with "Integrity YES Talk," a mobile survey based on KakaoTalk. The survey targets citizens who have interacted with the district in corruption-prone areas such as permits, subsidies, finance, taxation, and contracts, allowing residents to participate easily anytime and anywhere. The survey is conducted twice a year, in the first and second half, and respondents are offered incentives through a lottery. Survey results are quickly delivered to the relevant departments and are used to develop integrity policies, improve civil service operations, and reward outstanding employees.

Alongside these efforts, Gangseo District is also working to improve organizational culture by eliminating unreasonable practices such as obligatory lunch invitations for executives and sending flowerpots during personnel changes. The district is expanding performance evaluations to all employees and focusing on communication-centered personnel management. Various programs, including open discussions with the mayor, the Integrity Golden Bell quiz, and on-site integrity consulting, are being used to foster a culture of integrity.

Jin Kyohun, Mayor of Gangseo District, stated, "Integrity is the foundation of administration and the first step in building trust with residents. We will actively operate the anonymous reporting system and Integrity YES Talk to protect whistleblowers and realize transparent administration, thereby creating a trustworthy and clean district government."

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