Korea’s tax authority unveils measures to block malicious civil complaints

[Image source: Gettyimagesbank]

South Korea’s National Tax Service on Wednesday announced comprehensive measures to block malicious civil complaints. They include deploying dedicated security personnel and installing additional CCTV cameras at civil service offices of major tax offices to minimize blind spots.

Furthermore, all employees of the civil service offices will be provided with recording devices, and speed gates, or screen doors will be installed to all accessible tax offices to allow entry for only authorized personnel with verified identities. Additionally, security personnel will be provided with truncheon batons alongside protective vests and pepper spray to handle emergency situations.

The move came as numerous cases of malicious complaints have caused significant disruptions to normal public operations and recently, there have even cases of public servants, who were grappling with complaints at the frontline, losing their lives.

According to a survey conducted by the Korea Institute of Public Administration on general government employees, the highest number of respondents said that their work performance was hindered by malicious complaints, with a score of 3.58 out of 5. This was followed by field work outside of regular duties (3.52), discrepancy between job responsibilities and personal values (3.13), and excessive work responsibilities (3.06).

The number of civil complaints has also skyrocketed, with the official total reaching 13 million cases a year. According to the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, the total number of complaints received through platforms like “e-People,” a national petition system and the “110 Government Complaints Call Center” reached as many as 12.38 million last year. This means that more than one out of every five citizens filed an official complaint to government agencies.

Annually, the number of complaints surged from 10.76 million in 2019 to 15.05 million in 2021 amid the pandemic, before dropping slightly last year. This year, the number is expected to exceed 13 million, with about 7.64 million complaints received through July.

Kim Yoon-tae, a professor of sociology at Korea University, diagnosed the situation as a result of a combination of decreased social trust and the tendency to resort to legal measures such as filing lawsuits and complaints, rather than resolving conflicts through dialogue. He emphasized that it is crucial to perceive malignant complaints as a form of crime.