Gangnam-gu Selected as Best Institution in National Happiness Civil Service Office Contest, Awarded 'Presidential Prize'

High Praise for 'Universal Design' Considering Socially Vulnerable Groups with Digital Braille and Sign Language Guidance

[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] Gangnam-gu (District Mayor Jeong Soon-gyun) was selected as the top institution in the ‘2021 National Happiness Civil Service Office’ contest hosted by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, and received the Presidential Award on the 24th.

Gangnam-gu received the highest score among the competing institutions and will hold the status of National Happiness Civil Service Office until 2024. The National Happiness Civil Service Office is a system in which the Ministry of the Interior and Safety comprehensively evaluates the environment and service level of civil service offices across local governments, metropolitan and provincial offices of education, and the National Tax Service nationwide to select outstanding institutions.

The district was highly evaluated for applying universal design in the civil service office, allowing anyone to use it easily regardless of gender, age, or disability.

The civil service office is equipped with ▲a digital integrated guidance system for braille, voice, and sign language, and a sign language interpretation video phone ▲accessible entrances for the disabled and parking spaces for women and the disabled ▲priority counters for socially disadvantaged groups.

Also, the ‘Smart Civil Service Ticketing Service,’ which reduces waiting times through ticket issuance and advance reservation services via the website or the ‘The Gangnam’ app, was recognized as an excellent case of digital civil service processing.

Jeong Soon-gyun, Mayor of Gangnam-gu, said, “Gangnam-gu handles an average of 2,000 civil service cases per day, the highest among Seoul’s autonomous districts, but we are enhancing convenience by introducing ‘integrated kiosks,’ the ‘The Gangnam’ app, and a ‘365-day open unmanned civil service office.’” He added, “In preparation for the ‘With Corona’ era, we will continue to convert all areas of administration to non-face-to-face services and create ‘Gangnam, the City of Empathetic Administration’ through ‘open administration’ tailored to the residents’ perspectives.”