Seongbuk District Certified as National Happiness Civil Service Office: "We Will Provide the Best Civil Service"

Significant Improvements in Civil Service Convenience
Unveiling Ceremony for Certification Plaque Held

Seongbuk District in Seoul announced on December 28 that it was selected as a newly certified institution for the 2025 National Happiness Civil Service Office by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, and held an unveiling ceremony for the certification plaque on December 26. The certification is valid for three years, and the ceremony was attended by more than 100 people, including Lee Seungro, Mayor of Seongbuk District, members of the Seongbuk District Council, public officials, and local residents.

Officials from Seongbuk District are taking a commemorative photo after the unveiling ceremony of the 'National Happiness Civil Service Office' certification plaque held in front of the government office building. Provided by Seongbuk District.

The National Happiness Civil Service Office is a system that certifies outstanding institutions among local governments, education offices, and special local administrative agencies nationwide. The evaluation covers four areas-space, service, experience, and satisfaction-across seven indicators and 25 items, through document reviews, on-site inspections, and experiential assessments.

This year, Seongbuk District reorganized the government office parking lot operations and improved civil service office signage, while enhancing accessibility for civil service users by creating a waterfront vitality hub and landscaping the area around the government building. The district also replaced unmanned civil document issuance kiosks and installed barrier-free queue ticket machines. In addition, it established a service window for socially disadvantaged groups, set up an AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) zone, operated a sign language interpretation phone, and opened the civil service office twice a week in the evening, ensuring that all users can access services without inconvenience.

The district also actively pursued institutional improvements to enhance the quality of its civil service. Starting January 1 of this year, Seongbuk District fully exempted fees for unmanned civil document issuance kiosks, and established the Seongbuk-style ChatGPT, an online integrated reservation service, smart bulletin boards, and an AI-based intelligent civil service guidance system. Furthermore, through close interdepartmental cooperation, unnecessary procedures were streamlined, and the district proactively incorporated feedback from its own satisfaction surveys into improvements.

Seongbuk District also ranked first overall among autonomous districts in the '2025 Seoul Civil Service Administration Evaluation,' winning the top award. Each year, the Seoul Metropolitan Government evaluates civil service operations at a total of 333 institutions and departments, including city headquarters, business offices, investment and funded organizations, and 25 autonomous districts. Seongbuk District has been selected as an outstanding institution for three consecutive years from 2023 to this year, and this year, it also ranked first among autonomous districts in the general civil service category of the Eungdapso (Seoul City Response Center).

Since 2018, Seongbuk District has operated the 'One-Day On-Site Mayor's Office' annually, directly listening to residents' opinions and reflecting them in policy. These efforts led to the district ranking second among Seoul's 25 autonomous districts in the 2024 Seoul Survey Happiness Index, and in October, it received a Prime Minister's Commendation at the '2025 Civil Service Administration Development Merit Awards Ceremony.'

Lee Seungro, Mayor of Seongbuk District, stated, "I have always believed that the answer lies in the field, so I have listened to residents' opinions and worked to solve their difficulties," adding, "We will continue to provide civil service administration that residents can truly feel until everyone is satisfied."

Lee Seungro, Mayor of Seongbuk District (front row, first from left), and staff members. Provided by Seongbuk District Office.