Jinju City to Strengthen Response to Malicious Civil Complaints ... Creating a Safer Civil Service Office

Additional Distribution of Portable Protection Devices
and Replacement of Safety Partitions

Jinju City in Gyeongnam has established safety measures to ensure that citizens can use the civil service office with peace of mind and has strengthened response plans to protect civil service staff from malicious complainants.

First, the existing acrylic safety partitions installed at local administrative welfare centers will be replaced with reinforced glass. The acrylic partitions, originally installed for COVID-19 prevention, were vulnerable to physical impact and unstable, making it difficult to respond to threats such as violence or the throwing of dangerous objects.

In response, the city plans to install fixed safety glass (at least 180 cm high from the floor) that meets the standard specifications of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, thereby enhancing the safety of civil service staff and doing its utmost to prevent malicious complaints.

Jinju City Hall Civil Affairs and Passport Division exterior.

Additionally, 12 portable protection devices will be distributed to civil service staff. These devices are intended to secure evidence for legal action in the event of malicious complaints and reflect the results of departmental demand surveys conducted last year.

In 2023, the city supplied 50 wearable cameras and 128 ID card case-type voice recorders, and has now expanded these measures to proactively respond to the recent increase in malicious complaints.

In particular, to help civil service staff relieve job-related stress and recover mentally and physically, the city plans to hold two healing workshops at 'Wolasan Forest Jinju' in April.

During these workshops, civil service staff will have the opportunity to preview the venue for the '2025 Korea Garden Industry Expo', experience the forest to calm their minds, and participate in various experiential activities such as emotion empathy card games to promote psychological stability.

With the amendment of the 'Enforcement Decree of the Civil Complaints Handling Act' on October 29 last year, it is now possible to record and film all phone calls and meetings with complainants. In cases of prolonged calls (recommended 20 minutes) or abusive language, calls may be terminated after notification, and in cases of abusive language, violence, possession of dangerous items, or property damage, eviction or temporary entry restrictions may be enforced.

Accordingly, the city has amended the 'Jinju City Ordinance on the Protection and Support of Civil Service Staff in Charge of Civil Complaints' to provide grounds for terminating prolonged calls or meetings, and states that it will continue to improve the environment of civil service offices to ensure safety.

Meanwhile, the city has installed emergency bells in 30 local administrative welfare centers and established a cooperation system with relevant agencies to ensure immediate response in emergencies. In addition, to protect civil service staff from abusive language or violence by complainants, the city has designated a legal department, and provides psychological counseling, medical expense support, rest periods, and preventive education and training for victims.

A Jinju City official said, "We will continue to expand protection measures to improve the safety and working environment of civil service staff."