Demand-Oriented Electric Vehicle Charging Network and Small Business Damage Compensation... Seoul City Selected Among 7 'Excellent Proactive Administration' Cases

The Best Award Goes to Proactive Electric Vehicle Charging Network Development... Introducing New Types, Installation Sites Shift from Government-Led to Citizen Application
Active Legal Interpretation for Compensation of Small Business Operational Damages, Rapid Demolition of Illegal Buildings to Prevent Safety Accidents

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] On the 5th, Seoul City announced that it has selected seven outstanding cases of so-called ‘proactive administration’ that have resolved citizen inconveniences or revitalized stagnant projects through innovative and active efforts, breaking away from long-standing customs or government-centered perspectives.

According to Seoul City, the seven cases include one grand prize, two excellence awards, and four encouragement awards. These were selected from cases promoted by Seoul City’s headquarters and business offices from the second half of last year to February this year, through application and reception, first and second preliminary reviews, and final evaluation by the ‘Proactive Administration Committee’ composed of internal and external members of Seoul City.

The selected cases mainly include policies that citizens can feel in their daily lives, cases where public proactive intervention resolved local complaints, and cases that introduced and implemented systems for the first time nationwide. The grand prize was awarded to a case that enhanced citizen convenience by expanding a user-centered electric vehicle charging network and led the transition to an era where electric vehicles account for 10%. To address issues such as the emergence of charging-vulnerable areas, the city has introduced new types of chargers that can be installed in various locations such as bollard-type and streetlight-type chargers, and from this year, it has implemented a system that determines charging station installation locations based on citizen applications.

Among the excellence cases, one was selected for actively interpreting the Land Compensation Act to open a path for compensation for losses to small business owners in underground shopping malls who suffered unavoidable business damages due to the closure of underground shopping mall entrances caused by aboveground construction. Additionally, a case was selected where illegal buildings that had been abandoned for over 10 years on the river embankment near Amsa Nadeulmok were swiftly demolished (through administrative execution) by proactive data investigation and fact-finding, preventing safety accidents and improving the surrounding aesthetics.

The four encouragement cases include securing school routes on side roads by utilizing school sites for children’s safety, establishing the nation’s first standard risk assessment plan in the water supply sector in preparation for the enforcement of the Serious Accident Punishment Act, supporting online sales by collaborating with private online platforms to expand the market for ‘regenerated bicycles’ repaired from abandoned bicycles, and expanding the scope of industrial safety and health management costs closely related to construction site safety levels to strengthen the prevention of worker safety accidents.

Meanwhile, the Seoul City Audit Officer operates proactive administration support systems such as a pre-consultation system and a proactive administration opinion suggestion system to assist frontline departments facing difficulties due to legal deficiencies or ambiguities while actively carrying out their duties.

Lee Hae-woo, Chairman of the Seoul City Audit Committee, said, “For administration that citizens can feel to be realized, it is necessary to establish an organizational culture where frontline public officials can actively perform their duties and to provide support measures that can enhance the pride of officials who have promoted proactive administration,” adding, “We will support proactive administration through support systems such as pre-consultation and opinion suggestion systems and will also expand incentives for individual public officials.”