What Does Dongdaemun-gu Audit Officer's Expansion of Civil Complaint Management Mean?

With organizational restructuring, the establishment of the ‘Civil Complaints Management Team’ takes a step forward toward a more transparent Dongdaemun-gu

‘Open Communication Office’ also operates as a channel for collecting residents’ opinions to strengthen communication with residents

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Dongdaemun-gu (Mayor Lee Pil-hyung) recently established the ‘Civil Complaints Management Team’ and the ‘Open Communication Office’ under the Audit Officer as part of its organizational restructuring to strengthen communication with residents and handle civil complaints more fairly and efficiently.

Dongdaemun-gu is currently accelerating projects to expand the metropolitan transportation network centered around Cheongnyangni Station and develop the area into a transportation, commercial, and cultural hub, aiming to establish it as a key point leading the development of the northeastern region of Seoul.

The Cheongnyangni area is one of the places undergoing the most significant changes within Seoul, with a substantial increase in civil complaints involving various stakeholders. Recently, complaints related to ‘Bapper,’ operated by the Dail Welfare Foundation, and complaints about the regulation of illegal street vendors around Gyeongdong Market and Cheongnyangni Station have surged, with 3,333 related complaints submitted to the ‘Requests to the Mayor’ in January 2023.

"The establishment of the Civil Complaints Management Team is intended to appropriately respond to the increasingly complex and diversified civil complaints. It is part of the efforts under the 8th elected administration’s communication policy to proactively approach residents and resolve issues in Dongdaemun-gu," explained Audit Officer Hah Kwang-tae of Dongdaemun-gu Office.

In addition, Dongdaemun-gu plans to faithfully manage civil complaints by operating the ‘Ombudsman System’ and the ‘Civil Complaints Mediation Committee,’ which utilize experts with rich administrative experience and relevant knowledge to propose amicable solutions and mediate, thereby improving administrative systems and handling grievances effectively.

Mayor Lee Pil-hyung said, “We will continue to listen carefully to even the smallest voices of residents, continuously improve problems, actively reflect them in district administration, and do our best to ensure there are no inconveniences for residents.”

Kim Tae-woo, Mayor of Gangseo-gu, Enhances Transparency by Disclosing Results of Special Audit on Private Consignment Affairs

Improving Unreasonable Regulations and Vulnerable Areas That Cause Corruption

Correcting Wrong Practices to Strengthen Accountability in Private Consignment Affairs

Seoul’s Gangseo-gu (Mayor Kim Tae-woo) announced that it conducted a special audit on the operation status of private consignment affairs in 2022 and disclosed the results on the district’s website.

Private consignment affairs refer to tasks under the authority of the head of a local government that are not directly related to residents’ rights or obligations but require specialized knowledge or skills. These tasks are entrusted to corporations, organizations, or individuals to be performed under their name and responsibility.

This audit was conducted under the special directive of Mayor Kim Tae-woo, emphasizing transparent budget execution to ensure that residents’ precious tax money is not wasted.

The audit was the first special audit conducted by the district on the overall operation of private consignment facilities, including budget execution, aiming to improve work efficiency and financial soundness by addressing illegal or improper matters and unreasonable regulations during the work process.

From November to December last year, the district conducted special audits on four facilities: Deutbit Library, Labor Welfare Center, Comprehensive Childcare Support Center, and Children’s Meal Management Support Center, and disclosed the results on the district website.

The audit identified issues such as ▲non-compliance with hiring-related agreements ▲improper payment of allowances and construction costs ▲non-compliance with budget planning and execution procedures ▲improper handling of other goods management tasks, and took 54 administrative actions and 7 financial recovery measures.

Additionally, to strengthen accountability for private consignment affairs, the district developed improvement measures including education for staff in charge of private consignment departments, verification of guidance and supervision, and dissemination and sharing of audit findings related to private consignment.

Mayor Kim Tae-woo said, “This special audit was conducted to correct wrong practices and enhance professionalism and accountability in private consignment affairs to provide better administrative services to residents. We will strengthen guidance and supervision to ensure transparent management of private consignment affairs and improve unreasonable systems.”