A Leading Civil Service:
"Immediate Civil Complaints Response Team" for Daily Inconveniences
Modern society is experiencing a rapid aging phenomenon.
As average life expectancy increases and birth rates decline in many countries around the world, the proportion of elderly people is rising. These changes are having a wide range of effects across the economy, society, and culture, making it urgent to respond to this situation.
Yeongyang County in North Gyeongsang Province is a rural area formed according to its geographical characteristics as a mountainous region in northern Gyeongsangbuk-do. It is a super-aged society, with the elderly population (aged 65 and over) accounting for 41% of the total. There was a desperate need for channels to alleviate the loneliness and inconvenience of seniors with mobility difficulties and those living alone.
The currently operating Immediate Civil Complaints Response Team is a senior-customized complaint handling system that minimizes complicated paperwork and procedures, providing prompt service to reduce inconvenience. By visiting seniors directly and collecting their feedback, the service is continuously improved, and these visits also provide opportunities to share information about other administrative support offered by the county.
Since its launch in 2019, the number of services provided has increased every year, from just over 1,100 cases in the first year to 2,633 cases of daily inconveniences handled in 2024. Tasks such as changing light bulbs or door handles, which may be easy for some, can be difficult for seniors to resolve without help from the county.
What began as small acts of assistance has expanded to include repairing electric scooters for those with mobility issues, replacing window screens in summer, and installing thermal insulation film in winter, becoming a symbol of essential public service for all residents.
Due to the remote nature of the region, it was difficult to find ways to resolve daily inconveniences such as boiler or toilet repairs, as there are few repair companies in the area and it often took a long time to get things fixed, prolonging the inconvenience.
Children who left their hometown in search of work elsewhere say that seeing the newly replaced window screens during occasional visits helps ease their feelings of guilt. Village resident Kim (female, 76) said, "With just a phone call, I feel cared for, and not only I but also my family are grateful. Thanks to this convenient complaint system, I am able to live my days without inconvenience."
Despite difficult transportation conditions, Yeongyang's Care Project, which aims to provide warm and non-lonely days for various socially marginalized groups, is being benchmarked by many local governments.
County Governor Oh Dochang said, "The Immediate Civil Complaints Response Team is part of a project launched to realize the happiness of our residents, and is a welfare system closely tailored to the needs of vulnerable groups and the elderly." He added, "We will continue to go out into the field, listen to even the smallest voices, and implement policies that truly make a difference in people's lives to improve the quality of life for our residents."
The Immediate Civil Complaints Response Team, which serves as a 'Hyojason' (back scratcher) for the elderly, can easily resolve inconveniences through a simple phone call for a home visit service.
For vulnerable households, material costs of up to 100,000 won incurred during complaint handling are supported free of charge, and the team is currently composed of a total of seven members.
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