Gwangju City Welcomes Government Announcement on Duty System Abolition, Says “We Ended It a Year Earlier”

16 Months of "AI Dangjigi": 83% of Simple Complaints Automatically Processed
Enhanced Service Continuity and 90% Budget Savings
City to Improve Dialect Recognition and Upgrade Emergency Response Functions

The Gwangju City Government has welcomed the central government's decision to fully abolish the national civil servant duty roster system. In August last year, Gwangju became the first among metropolitan cities to abolish the duty system and has since operated an AI-based civil complaint response system called "AI Dangjigi."

Kang Gijeong, Mayor of Gwangju, attended the "Duty Farewell Event" on the morning of August 1 last year in the duty room on the first floor of the city hall and took a commemorative photo with the last duty officers. Provided by Gwangju City

On the 25th, the Gwangju City Government stated, "The Ministry of Personnel Management's announcement of a legislative notice for the amendment to the 'National Civil Servant Service Rules' marks the official start of administrative changes required in the era of artificial intelligence (AI)," adding, "The government is following the path that Gwangju pioneered."

Since August last year, Gwangju has implemented a system in which AI responds to duty-related civil complaints in real time and, when necessary, automatically connects with relevant organizations such as the five district offices and the General Construction Headquarters. Noting that simple complaints account for more than 80% of all duty-related inquiries, the core of the system is to have AI handle repetitive tasks. The city explained, "This has been recognized as a case that reduced the inefficiency of traditional night shifts and improved convenience for citizens."

The operational results are also clear. From August last year to October this year, "AI Dangjigi" handled 29,057 civil complaints, with AI directly processing 83% (24,108 cases) of them. The average number of nighttime phone inquiries was reduced by half, from 20 to 10 per day. The elimination of work gaps caused by compensatory leave for duty officers has also strengthened the continuity of civil complaint services.

There have also been budget savings. The annual duty allowance, which previously amounted to 90 million won, was reduced to 9 million won after the introduction of "AI Dangjigi," representing a reduction of nearly 90%.

Gwangju plans to continue improving the system by reducing errors in recognizing local dialects and accents and increasing response speed. The city is also considering introducing a separate response system specialized for disasters and emergency situations.

Kang Gijeong, Mayor of Gwangju, stated, "After seeing employees staying up all night at work, I determined that abolishing the duty system was the answer," adding, "By combining the AI system with the 24-hour operation of the Disaster and Safety Situation Room, we can sufficiently resolve citizen inconvenience." He continued, "The government's decision to abolish the duty system is an example of the ripple effect of administrative innovation led by Gwangju," and emphasized, "We will continue to improve unnecessary work so that employees can focus on their core roles."

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