Mokpo City to Implement Lunch Break Closure System Starting Next Year

Priority Implementation from October in 8 Districts (Yongdang 2-dong, Yeondong, Sanjeong-dong, Mokwon-dong, Yonghae-dong, Hadang-dong, Okam-dong, Bujudong)

Mokpo City Lunch Break Closure Banner (Photo by Mokpo City)

[Mokpo=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Jeong Hyeong-seok] Mokpo City in Jeollanam-do will implement the ‘Lunch Break Closure System’ starting January next year.

On the 8th, Mokpo City announced that this decision was made in consultation with the Mokpo City Government Employees Labor Union to improve treatment by guaranteeing the rest rights of public officials and to provide high-quality civil service.

The operating hours of the Lunch Break Closure System will be from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM, and it will be implemented in all departments including Mokpo City Hall, business offices, and 23 administrative welfare centers.

However, prior to the full implementation in January next year, starting from October, the system will be first implemented in eight neighborhoods (Yongdang 2-dong, Yeondong, Sanjeong-dong, Mokwon-dong, Yonghae-dong, Hadang-dong, Okam-dong, Bujoo-dong). Along with intensive promotion, the 13 neighborhood administrative welfare centers without unmanned civil service issuance machines will complete the installation of these machines by the end of the year to minimize inconvenience to citizens.

Additionally, by utilizing local job project personnel to guide the use of unmanned civil service issuance machines, the city plans to minimize civil service inconveniences caused by the implementation and continuously monitor the system to prepare improvement measures.

According to the current local government employee work regulations, the lunch break for public officials is specified as 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM, but until now, public officials have been working in shifts to handle civil complaints for the convenience of residents.

In response, the Mokpo City Government Employees Labor Union has continuously demanded the guarantee of employees’ lunch break rest rights, and through collective agreement with the executive branch, they agreed to implement the Lunch Break Closure System.

Currently, 12 local governments in Jeollanam-do are partially or fully implementing the Lunch Break Closure System, and some other local governments are also considering implementation following the nationwide trend.

A city official stated, “It was common for employees handling civil affairs to resume work without finishing their meals during lunch break,” and added, “Although inconvenience to civil petitioners is expected in the early stages of implementation, once the system is established, it is expected that the guarantee of employees’ rest rights will enable the provision of improved administrative services.”