Former 'Kara' member Kang Ji-young targets unfriendly public officials
"If it were my mom..." shares her upset feelings
Netizens debate "It's upsetting" vs "Mind your own business"
Kang Ji-young, a former member of the girl group 'Kara,' once hailed as the best of the 2nd generation, pointed out the unfriendly service she witnessed at a police station's civil affairs office. This sparked a heated debate among netizens.
On the 23rd, Kang Ji-young posted on her social media, "I had to stop by the police station today regarding my driver's license," and added, "Nowadays, you can find everything by searching, so I looked up what I needed on my phone in advance, prepared diligently, and headed to the police station."
She explained the situation, saying, "I happened to notice a mother at the counter next to me who had come to register. The mother was there to renew her license and was asked by the officer, 'Did your eyesight test come out above 0.8?' When the mother said her eyesight was below 0.8, the clerk curtly said, 'Then you can't renew today,' and told her to get glasses immediately."
Kang said she felt upset seeing the mother in distress, stating, "If that mother had been my own mom, and I saw the person guiding her being so unfriendly as if annoyed, and my mom not knowing what to do, I think my heart would have broken." She continued, "I thought, 'They just need to explain a little more clearly,' and seeing the mother struggling made me so angry that I cried and my hands trembled all the way home." She also added, "I understand that not everyone thinks the same way, so it's okay if you don't understand me."
Netizens' reactions to Kang's post were divided. Most criticized the unfriendly attitude of the staff, expressing sympathy with comments like, "I've also been hurt by unfriendly staff," "That attitude would confuse elderly people," and "I understand the feelings behind this post."
On the other hand, some netizens responded, "It seems like too much is expected from public officials who are not in service jobs," "They handled it according to the manual, so it seems too emotional," and "Is it necessary for public officials to always be friendly?" A netizen who introduced themselves as a public official, identified as A, said, "There are times when I try to be really kind, but also times when I get frustrated with people who rely on me unconditionally without thinking. Being kind is really difficult," and added, "I wonder if Kang Ji-young could say the same if she actually worked in civil service."
A related post was also uploaded on the anonymous workplace community Blind. A netizen B, claiming to be affiliated with the National Police Agency, pointed out, "These days, people seem to think being firm is being unfriendly," and said, "Civil service officers handle cases one by one, so they don't have time to listen to every single person in detail. Also, since license renewal is related to public safety, they have to be firm and say no when necessary." He added, "From Kang's post, it seems the officer even suggested solutions. It looks like they provided all the guidance they could. However, the tone is subjective, so it's hard to comment, but it might have felt unfriendly because it was spoken in a businesslike and dry manner."
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