Skipped Lunch to Visit Government Office, Only to Hear "Closed for Lunch"... This System Spreads Among Local Governments

Local Governments Join Efforts to Guarantee Civil Servants' Right to Rest
Challenges Remain for Citizens Who Rely on Lunchtime Services

The so-called "lunch break closure system," in which civil servants suspend civil service work during lunchtime, is rapidly spreading across local governments nationwide. While the intention is to institutionally guarantee civil servants' right to rest, thereby improving work efficiency and service quality, there is growing dissatisfaction among citizens who have relied on lunchtime to handle their administrative tasks.

A district office passport service center in Seoul is bustling with applicants hoping to obtain passports. This photo is for illustrative purposes and is not directly related to the article. Photo by Kang Jinhyung

'Lunch Break Shutdown' Spreads Nationwide

The lunch break closure system has been expanding with the aim of ensuring civil servants' right to rest. Since Goseong County in South Gyeongsang Province first introduced the system in 2017, more than 100 local governments across the country are now implementing it. The expansion of online civil service platforms and the installation of unmanned civil document issuance machines are also cited as factors behind the system's spread.

Daegu also adopted the system this year. According to Daegu Metropolitan City and others on January 14, district and county offices in Daegu began implementing the lunch break closure (from noon to 1 p.m.) at community administrative welfare centers starting January 2. However, the operating methods differed by district and county. Districts such as Suseong-gu, Dong-gu, Nam-gu, Seo-gu, Buk-gu, and Gunwi County continued to operate their main office civil service centers as usual, applying the lunch break closure only to community administrative welfare centers. In contrast, Jung-gu, Dalseo-gu, and Dalseong County suspended civil service work at both the main office centers and the community administrative welfare centers during lunchtime.

"Guaranteeing Rest Improves Administrative Service Quality"

The lunch break closure system has long been a demand of the civil servants' union. Due to the nature of civil service work, there has been a persistent practice of skipping meals or taking brief, staggered breaks during lunch to accommodate citizens, which has become entrenched over time.

Citizens having lunch with gimbap in front of a community center in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. This photo is for illustrative purposes and is not directly related to the article. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

The civil servants' union emphasized, "It is structurally impossible to expect kind and stable service from civil servants in an environment where even lunchtime is not guaranteed," adding, "Improving the basic working conditions of civil servants ultimately leads to higher administrative service quality." In fact, many frontline civil servants have reported that the system helps alleviate the burden of emotional labor and increases their focus at work.

Citizen Inconvenience Remains an Issue

However, there are also significant concerns about inconvenience for citizens. For certain services, such as passport issuance and seal certificate verification, visiting the service desk in person remains essential. The inconvenience is particularly acute for office workers and dual-income households who have used lunchtime to handle these tasks. Although nearly eight years have passed since the system was introduced, public awareness remains low, and there are repeated reports of citizens making fruitless trips to service centers during lunchtime, unaware of the closure.

Local governments plan to minimize inconvenience by expanding unmanned document issuance machines, promoting online civil service platforms such as Government24, and strengthening advance notifications. However, concerns remain that elderly citizens with limited digital access may still be left behind. Experts point out that to achieve both administrative efficiency and protection of labor rights, more sophisticated supplementary measures are needed, such as diversifying operating hours and expanding reservation-based services.