Rookie civil servant takes own life after handling complaints

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A recently hired civil servant in Guri, Gyeonggi Province, killed himself after handling a complaint from a resident, officials said Wednesday.

Local police are investigating the case of the 31-year-old victim, whose name was withheld. The person worked as a grade 9 civil servant at an administrative welfare center, the lowest grade in the smallest unit of the municipal government. The rookie staff member had only recently completed six months of probation.

He was found dead at around noon on Tuesday at an apartment building near the village center, according to the Guri police. It is unclear as of press time whether he resided in the apartment building. No will has been found.

Prior to taking his life, the deceased had spoken with a visitor who came to the center to lodge a complaint. After receiving the complaint, the civil servant made a phone call to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and left the workplace, before being found dead.

Local reports said that the man seemed to have experienced substantial stress at work as a member of a unit responsible for handling civil complaints. He was known to have taken antidepressants due to the stress, the reports added.

The death comes only weeks after another rookie civil servant in his 30s, who was working for the Cheongju City Government, killed himself.

By Jung Min-kyung(mkjung@heraldcorp.com)