The Ministry of Data and Statistics (MODS) said on the 6th it will run a pilot program to use about 18,000 postal carriers nationwide as national statistics interviewers. MODS had hired short-term interviewers for each national statistics survey, but it now plans to tap the existing postal carrier workforce.
This reflects an instruction by President Lee Jae-myung during a Ministry of Science and ICT briefing in Dec. last year, when Lee said, "For conducting opinion polls and visiting households, why not outsource it to the post office? Doesn't the United States do that?" and added, "Starting a new project costs a lot of money, so it would be good to outsource it to places like this (the post office)."
MODS said it signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) at the Government Complex Daejeon with Korea Post of the Ministry of Science and ICT for "efficient statistical surveys using the post office network."
Under the agreement, MODS will pilot a national statistics survey next month in three cities, counties, or districts using the post office network. In Nov., postal carriers will be deployed for the Census of Population and Housing basic survey, and next year for national statistics surveys such as the regional employment survey. MODS plans to decide whether to continue based on the pilot's results.
MODS has so far hired short-term interviewers for national statistics surveys. By using postal carriers this time, related budget costs are expected to be reduced. MODS also expects to resolve workforce shortages that arose because it was difficult to hire short-term interviewers in remote island and mountain areas.