Civil Servants Moved by Realistic Civil Petition Scenarios on Stage
Empathy and Resolution Inspired by Relatable Scenes
Hanam City Brings Citizens Closer Through Emotional Administration
Hanam City in Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Lee Hyunjae) held a civil service training session titled "Seeing Through the Eyes of Civil Petitioners!" for all staff of City Hall and local administrative welfare centers at the annex auditorium of City Hall on the 22nd.
At the annex auditorium of Hanam City Hall on the 22nd, public officials empathize while watching scenes from a play during the "Seeing Through the Eyes of Civil Petitioners!" training session. The performance, based on real civil petition cases, received great acclaim. Provided by Hanam City
This training went beyond a simple theoretical lecture and was conducted as an interactive storytelling session in the form of a "drama concert," blending performances with commentary. The program alternated between five short plays and lectures, vividly recreating a variety of real-life civil petition scenarios such as conflicts over official documents, call center responses, complaints about parking enforcement, telephone consultation attitudes, and first impressions during service encounters.
In particular, the episode titled "Grandfather and the Call Center" resonated strongly with public officials. The situation, in which an elderly citizen could not understand the repeated explanations of a call center employee, delivered the message that "the ability to explain is also a part of kindness," and highlighted the importance of communicating with citizens in their own language. Throughout the audience, many nodded in agreement, reflecting on the message's significance.
During the commentary that followed the drama, it was emphasized that "customers may understand less than 10% of an explanation," and that "no matter how politely something is said, if it is not understood, it can ultimately be perceived as unkind." Hanam City shared that, through this training, it is important to view civil petition situations not merely as issues to be handled, but as opportunities for communication with the emotions of citizens.
An administrative officer who participated in the training commented, "The situations we often encounter in the field were realistically portrayed, making it easy to relate. It reminded me once again that even a small change in tone or facial expression can move the heart of a petitioner."
To realize empathy-based civil petition administration, Hanam City is focusing on resolving complex petitions and improving satisfaction levels through initiatives such as the "Civil Petition Coordinator" system, the "Team Leader Responsibility Consultation System," and the "Civil Petition Processing Task Force." In addition, the city has strengthened practical communication structures that bridge the gap between citizens and administration by operating mobile mayor's offices, open mayor's offices, and weekly citizen participation meetings.
These efforts have also been validated externally. Hanam City has been selected as an "Excellent Institution" for four consecutive years, from 2021 to 2024, in the Comprehensive Civil Petition Service Evaluation jointly organized by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, firmly establishing itself as a leading city in civil petition administration.
Mayor Lee Hyunjae stated, "A single word or look from a public official can bring deep comfort to a citizen. Hanam City will not stop at simply processing civil petitions but will continue to practice warm administration that cares for the emotions of its citizens."
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