How to Handle Malicious Complainants?

Songpa-gu Enhances Response Capability by Conducting ‘Uncommunicable Special Civil Complaint Response’ Training

Increase in ‘Violence’ Cases Against Public Officials ▲Special Civil Complaint Response Training ▲Introduction of Wearable Cameras

▲Joint Simulation Training for Malicious Complaint Response by Public Institutions Strengthens Protection of Civil Service Officials

Seo Gang-seok, Mayor of Songpa-gu, “We will create a safe working environment to provide high-quality civil service administration”

Simulation Training

Songpa-gu (Mayor Seo Gang-seok) is significantly strengthening support to protect civil service officials in charge of civil complaints by conducting ‘Special Civil Complaint Occurrence Response Method Training’ to create a safe working environment for public officials who frequently interact with the public.

Cases of public officials being punched or verbally abused in civil service offices are rapidly increasing every year. According to recent statistics from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, the number of illegal acts committed by complainants against public officials?including assault, verbal abuse, sexual harassment, and property damage?exploded from 34,805 cases in 2019 to 50,188 cases in 2021. Earlier this year, several serious incidents occurred in some local governments where public officials were injured by weapons wielded by complainants.

Mayor Seo Gang-seok emphasized, “Civil complaint officials are defenselessly exposed to unexpected incidents such as unwarranted verbal abuse or assault. We will focus on strengthening on-site response capabilities and creating a safe working environment so that they can work with peace of mind.”

Accordingly, starting May 17, the district conducted ‘Uncommunicable Special Civil Complaint Response Method Training’ twice for civil complaint officials. The training, led by instructor Park Won-young of WYP Education Consulting, focused on how to handle complainants who make demands ignoring laws and procedures.

One public official who received the training shared, “I was burned out due to malicious complaints and often irritated by small matters, wondering if I was strange or going crazy. After attending the ‘Uncommunicable Special Civil Complaint Response Method Training,’ I realized it wasn’t my fault, and I was moved to tears.” The official also commented, “Learning about legal and institutional rights and response methods that I didn’t know before was very helpful.” This feedback has created empathy among civil complaint officials, and additional training for managerial-level officials is planned.

Furthermore, starting in June, wearable cameras with recording and filming functions will be distributed to community service centers to prevent malicious complaints and to provide evidence for legal action in case of violence or other damages.

On May 16, the Civil Service Administration Division of Songpa-gu Office and Songpa Police Station jointly conducted a ‘Special Civil Complaint Occurrence Response Simulation Training.’ The training simulated a situation involving verbal abuse and assault by a complainant, proceeding through stages of calming the special complainant, recording, restraining threats, police reporting, protecting the victimized official, and handing over the offending complainant to the police.

The district plans to conduct regular simulation trainings twice a year through the district and community service centers to ensure safety within civil service offices and promote healthy civil complaint etiquette.

Currently, to create a safe civil service office, the district has implemented protective measures for civil complaint officials such as installing glass partitions at service counters and equipping civil service offices with CCTV and telephone recording functions. It is also making multifaceted efforts to create a safe working environment by strengthening psychological counseling for employees who have suffered mental damage. In particular, in the second half of this year, the district plans to introduce portable protective equipment by establishing operational guidelines for such equipment.

Mayor Seo Gang-seok of Songpa-gu stated, “Due to some uncommunicable special civil complaints, civil complaint officials may become passive and rigid in their work, which should never cause harm to general complainants. Positive and proactive energy from civil complaint officials should be directed toward general complainants through firm and active responses. We will do our best to create a safe working environment so that employees can work with peace of mind and provide high-quality civil service administration that ‘serves residents as masters.’”