Implementation of Civil Complaint Accompaniment Service in Songpa-gu

When socially vulnerable civil petitioners visit, dedicated public officials provide support by accompanying them from consultation to the completion of their tasks.

▲ Mobility support ▲ Assistance with filling out petition forms ▲ Dedicated 1:1 support for digital platforms ▲ Priority counters for pregnant women ▲ Provision of petition forms in foreign languages

Seogangseok, Mayor of Songpa District Office, stated, “We will provide the best civil petition services with an attitude of serving residents as the owners.”

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Songpa District (Mayor Seogangseok) is implementing the ‘Haha Hoho Civil Petition Accompaniment Service’ to facilitate convenience for socially vulnerable residents visiting the district office. This is a step closer to residents beyond the ‘One-Stop Civil Petition Service’ that has been promoted since October last year to realize servant administration.

Seogangseok, Mayor of Songpa District, has emphasized the philosophy of district governance where residents are treated as sovereigns, not just petitioners. As his first directive after taking office, he established the ‘Civil Petition Processing Team’ in October last year to manage district office permits and approvals in a one-stop manner, and for the first time in Seoul, separately established the ‘Passport Division’ to provide high-quality, customized civil petition services for residents.

The newly introduced ‘Haha Hoho Civil Petition Accompaniment Service’ aims to provide courteous administrative services exceeding the level of private companies by carefully considering the convenience of socially vulnerable residents who require special assistance.

In fact, one resident who used the service said, “I usually have difficulty moving alone due to a brain lesion disability, so it was hard to handle tasks at the district office by myself. The staff at the accompaniment counter approached me first and accompanied me until all documents were issued, which moved me to tears,” expressing gratitude directly to the responsible department.

The ‘Haha Hoho Civil Petition Accompaniment Service’ offers five customized civil petition services tailored to the needs of different groups. First, for transportation-vulnerable groups such as people with disabilities, the elderly, and pregnant women, dedicated staff are stationed at the entrance of the civil petition office to accompany them to the relevant petition counters, providing mobility support services.

For elderly residents and multicultural families who find it difficult to fill out complex petition forms and operate digital platforms, the service provides ▲ assistance with filling out petition forms ▲ dedicated 1:1 help with unmanned civil petition issuance machines and kiosks. The district participates in the ‘It’s Okay to Take Your Time!’ campaign promoted under Seoul’s digital inclusion policy to ensure that digitally disadvantaged people can enjoy benefits without discrimination.

Additionally, a priority counter is operated for pregnant women and residents accompanied by infants to process petitions preferentially, and foreign language application forms are provided to enhance convenience for foreigners.

Residents wishing to use the civil petition accompaniment service can make reservations by phone through the Civil Petition Administration Division of Songpa District Office. If unable to make a reservation in advance, they can visit the civil petition office on the 2nd floor of the district office and receive assistance through the petition counters.

Last December, the district was selected as an excellent institution in the ‘2022 National Happiness Civil Petition Office Evaluation’ hosted by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, earning certification for the third consecutive time. It is recognized for continuously striving to improve civil petition services through resident-centered servant administration, a key focus of the 8th elected administration.

Seogangseok, Mayor of Songpa District, said, “Through creative and innovative system changes, we will provide more convenient and warm civil petition administrative services and carry out district governance that prioritizes residents.”