"The Revolution of the Civil Service Office"... Seocho-gu Creates the Nation's First 'Digital Civil Service Office'

Waiting Time for Civil Complaints Halved and Taxes Reduced
Processing Complaints Using Smartphones and QR Codes Without Paper
Digitalization of 186 Types of Civil Service Desk Tasks

“A system has been fully implemented that allows civil petition forms to be completed using smartphones and QR codes without paper applications, and sent to the responsible officials for processing. This makes the process more convenient and faster, reducing the waiting time for petitioners by half.”

All civil service counters in Seocho-gu, Seoul, including district offices and community service centers, are being transformed into ‘Digital Civil Service Offices’ utilizing smart technology. Seocho-gu announced that starting from the 30th, all civil service offices within the district will fully operate the advanced ‘Electronic Civil Petition Form Completion System’ as part of the ‘Digital Civil Service Office’ initiative.

Accordingly, petitioners visiting any of Seocho-gu’s 189 digital civil service offices can use their smartphones and QR codes to complete civil petition forms. By scanning a QR code, they receive a web address (URL) on their smartphone to fill out the application form. The completed form is then converted into an encrypted QR code, which, when scanned by a reader, is transmitted to the official’s computer for automatic input.

This system reduces the time petitioners spend repeatedly filling out personal information on multiple forms and also decreases the time officials spend entering form data into computers. Petitioners can fill out forms while waiting for their number or even complete them before arriving by selecting the application service in advance on the Seocho-gu website.

In the district’s ‘Digital Civil Service Office,’ a total of 186 types of civil service tasks, including food hygiene business registration and telecommunication sales, can be applied for digitally. This accounts for about 86% of all civil service counter tasks, meaning nearly all civil petition applications and receptions are converted to digital. The system is designed to be easily accessible for seniors, and staff are assigned to assist smartphone users, demonstrating Seocho-gu’s careful consideration for information-vulnerable groups.

Additionally, the system has expanded from allowing only personal applications to enabling delegated (proxy) applications by adding electronic forms and stamp scanners for proxies, significantly reducing the hassle of separately preparing power of attorney documents. Duplicate information on application forms and power of attorney documents is automatically filled in. Moreover, when petitioners use the stamp scanner installed at the civil service counter to affix their seal, the stamp image is digitized and automatically transmitted, simplifying the processing.

The district has also pioneered the complete digitization of all paper documents from application reception to storage and management nationwide. Required documents submitted by petitioners are scanned upon receipt and stored in an electronic document management system. Previously, these documents were stored in document archives, but this is no longer necessary. Through this, the district expects to save about 396㎡ of archive space annually and reduce printing costs for petition documents by over 20 million KRW per year.

Previously, since June last year, the district office’s OK Civil Service Center had been piloting the ‘Electronic Civil Petition Form Completion System’ for 78 types of civil service tasks. About 90% of civil service tasks covered by this system have been applied for through it. After the system’s introduction, waiting times were reduced from 30 minutes to 15 minutes, a 50% decrease, and user satisfaction reached 91%, according to the district.

This system also won the grand prize at the ‘2023 Digital Local Government Best Practice Competition’ hosted by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, receiving the Minister’s Award.

Jeon Seong-su, Mayor of Seocho-gu, said, “With the operation of the Digital Civil Service Office, residents can receive administrative services conveniently and quickly,” adding, “We will continue to integrate various digital technologies throughout civil services to maintain smart administration.”