Pyeongtaek City Establishes 'Civil Service Bureau' to Prioritize Citizens' Requests

Pyeongtaek City (Mayor Choi Won-yong) is pursuing a significant organizational restructuring that strengthens civil affairs functions to resolve citizen complaints more quickly and responsibly.

To implement 'Pyeongtaek where we grow together and citizens are happy,' a core initiative of the ninth elected government, the city announced for legislative review on the 8th the 'Partial Amendment to the Ordinance on Administrative Organization and Staffing of Pyeongtaek City,' which includes the establishment of a 'Civil Service Bureau.'

The most notable aspect of this reorganization is the establishment of the 'Civil Service Bureau.' This reflects Mayor Choi Won-yong's administrative philosophy of treating citizens' voices as the starting point of government, expanding and reorganizing civil affairs functions that previously belonged to the 'General Administration Bureau' to establish the 'Civil Service Bureau,' and planning to place the 'One-Stop Civil Affairs Department,' 'Civil Service Department,' 'Building Permit Department,' and 'Housing Department' under it.

In particular, the city plans to newly establish the 'One-Stop Civil Affairs Department,' which was a signature pledge of Mayor Choi, to build an administrative system that processes civil complaints more conveniently from the citizens' perspective. The aim is to reduce the inconvenience that previously required citizens to visit multiple departments depending on the nature of their complaint and to strengthen administrative services that consider citizens' perspectives from reception through processing.

Furthermore, by designating the 'One-Stop Civil Affairs Department' as the main department of the 'Civil Service Bureau,' the city creates an environment where talented officials with experience and capability voluntarily gather. While civil affairs departments have been perceived as departments to avoid by employees due to insufficient personnel compensation compared to their high workload, the city plans to significantly enhance the organizational status and role of the newly established 'One-Stop Civil Affairs Department' by positioning it as the main department.

Additionally, the 'Building Permit Department' and 'Housing Department,' which handle businesses closely related to citizens' lives such as building permits, forestland and farmland conversion, public housing management and residential welfare, and general housing construction and advertisements, will also be transferred to the 'Civil Service Bureau.'

Meanwhile, Pyeongtaek City will reorganize the 'Planning Port Economy Office' into the 'Planning and Coordination Office,' and restructure the 'Future City Strategy Bureau' into the 'Jobs and Economy Bureau.' The city will also change 'Urban Housing Bureau' to 'Urban Policy Bureau,' 'Safety Construction and Transportation Bureau' to 'Transportation Safety and Construction Bureau,' and adjust the names of 'General Affairs Department,' 'Korea-America International Exchange Department,' and 'Transportation Administration Department' to 'Administrative Support Department,' 'International Exchange Department,' and 'Transportation and Parking Department,' respectively.

Additionally, reflecting periodic allocation of standard personnel from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, the general civil service workforce will be increased from 2,390 to 2,397 positions, an addition of 7 positions. As a result, staffing for grade 4 and grade 5 positions is expected to increase by one each.

Mayor Choi Won-yong emphasized, "Civil complaints are not merely administrative tasks to be processed, but the starting point of city governance where we can hear citizens' voices most closely. Through this reorganization, we will reduce the inconvenience of citizens having to visit multiple departments and create citizen-centered civil service," he said.

Meanwhile, this organizational restructuring will be implemented after gathering public opinions through legislative review by the 12th, followed by relevant procedures including deliberation and resolution by the Pyeongtaek City Council.