ULSAN — Ulsan will consolidate the intake of public complaints at the 120 Ulsan Complaint Center, a step aimed at resolving delays in complex cases where the responsible department is unclear.
The city unveiled the overhaul of its complaint intake and processing system at a news conference at the press center on the morning of Oct. 15. The plan rests on three pillars: unifying intake and assignment while strengthening coordination among departments, expanding the role of the 120 Center, and reviewing the creation of a dedicated organization.
Authority to receive and assign complaints filed through the national e-People portal will move from the Citizens' Rights and Human Rights Officer to the 120 Ulsan Complaint Center under the Autonomous Administration Division. To prevent any gap in service, a staff member from the Citizens' Rights and Human Rights Officer will work at the center in a support role.
Complaints that fall under overlapping or ambiguous jurisdiction will be handled by a case review meeting. The meeting will examine the substance of each complaint to determine the responsible department and, where necessary, assign one on its own authority.
The city is also setting new criteria for distributing grievance complaints. Cases filed through e-People will be assigned based on how specific the complaint is, whether it concerns daily living conditions, how long the issue has been raised, the extent to which an inspector has been requested, and whether institutional improvement is needed. Grievance complaints submitted directly through the city website will be handled jointly by the Citizens' Rights and Human Rights Officer and the Citizens' Ombudsman Committee. Cases that include a request for an audit, such as misconduct by public officials, will be investigated by the inspector when the supporting evidence is clear, with the findings reported back to the resident.
The 120 Center's role will extend beyond consultation and referrals. From December, the center will receive complaints directly, distribute them to the responsible departments and inform residents of the outcome. Residents will be able to file a complaint about an inconvenience in daily life and check the result with a single phone call.
The city will also deploy a mobile citizen communication team as a field response unit, tasked with providing consultation and taking complaints at the site where they arise. The team will run on a trial basis from December through the first half of next year, during which the city will review response procedures and draw up work guidelines before full operation begins.
A reorganization is also under consideration. The city is examining the creation of a division tentatively named the Complaints Division in next year's first-half reorganization, which would combine the handling of general and grievance complaints as well as online and offline intake. The focus, however, is on raising accountability and expertise rather than on creating a new body.
The plan remains under review. The city is briefing council members and will refine the details through consultations with the relevant departments and the gathering of public opinion. In drawing up next year's main budget, the city will reflect supplementary opinions from the city council to upgrade the operating system of the 120 Center.
"We will clarify the criteria for intake and assignment and strengthen coordination and cooperation among departments," an Ulsan city official said. "We will build a complaint administration that does not stop at listening to residents' voices but answers them responsibly."