Local governments are moving to build grievance "bulletin drums" to receive complaints from residents. They are creating their own online windows to replace the "People's Bulletin Drum" and the "Safety Bulletin Drum," whose operations were suspended due to a fire at the National Information Resources Service (NIRS). Before the suspension, these bulletin drums received about 28,000 complaints or reports per day.
◇ More than 10 million complaints received annually… When the window was blocked, online communities were used
As of the 17th, according to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, the People's Bulletin Drum and the Safety Bulletin Drum are currently unavailable due to the NIRS fire. The government manages administrative information systems in four tiers, considering their closeness to daily life. The People's Bulletin Drum is Tier 1, the highest, and the Safety Bulletin Drum is Tier 2.
The People's Bulletin Drum, operated by the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, is a window that allows people to file complaints and public proposals online. It unified most of the windows of 243 local governments nationwide. The Safety Bulletin Drum, operated by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, is a platform where people can report safety hazards in daily life by taking photos or videos. Reports are mainly received on automobile traffic violations such as illegal parking and standing, illegal lodging, and seasonal disaster safety.
Each of the two bulletin drums receives more than 10 million complaints or reports annually. As of last year, 10,351,552 complaints were filed with the People's Bulletin Drum. In the case of the Safety Bulletin Drum, 7.53 million reports were received in 2023. Previously, since last year, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety integrated the Korean National Police Agency's Smart Nation Report, which exceeds 3 million cases annually, and expects more than 11 million safety reports per year.
With these complaint windows unable to function, some have turned to online communities. They post to popular communities to bring issues into the public eye.
On the 15th, an online community carried a post saying, "I went to charge at the electric vehicle charger in a parking lot, and a woman was camping with two dogs and a tent." Under the Act on the Promotion of Development and Distribution of Environment-Friendly Motor Vehicles, you must not pile objects in an EV charging facility or charging zone or block the passageway. The poster said they reported it to the police, but the police told them to use the Safety Bulletin Drum. The imposition of fines for such acts obstructing EV charging falls under local governments' authority, and the police do not directly levy fines, according to reports.
◇ Local governments set up their own windows… Early operating results are mixed
In response, local governments began preparing their own windows in charge of receiving complaints. Although the government said it would restore the system as soon as possible, the timing of restoration is uncertain. As of 9 p.m. on the 21st day after the NIRS fire, the system restoration rate was 47.7%. Of 709, 338 were restored.
A local government official said, "After the government's bulletin drum services were suspended, phone inquiries increased," but added, "To clarify responsibility if issues arise in the future, it is better to document them online, etc." Ulsan City has built and been operating the "Ulsan Bulletin Drum" since the 5th. It integrates five services: Safety Bulletin Drum, public proposals, complaint filing, Petition 24, and civil servant proposals. Busan City and Gwangju City also began operating their own online complaint windows on the 13th. Daegu City and Namyangju in Gyeonggi Province also started operating their own complaint systems on the 15th.
However, performance in operating the bulletin drums varies by local government. In Ulsan, more than 150 complaints had been posted as of the morning of the day, about 11 per day. In contrast, there are regions that built their own bulletin drums but did not receive a single complaint. Due to a lack of promotion, local residents are unaware that a bulletin drum has been opened.