District mayor Yu Dong-gyun's second official approval since taking office signals a push for open communication
Employees hope to share opinions freely; move may also help lift district's integrity rankings
Mapo-gu has reinstated an anonymous message board to give district employees a freer channel for internal communication.
The district said Tuesday it converted the named "Staff Board" on its Saeeol administrative system into an anonymous "Free Board" effective July 1.
The move is designed to let employees share opinions and ideas without fear of being identified. It was the second policy approved by District Mayor Yu Dong-gyun since the launch of the ninth elected term.
Yu had emphasized communication and collaboration with staff even before taking office, and he moved quickly to approve a plan to overhaul how the administrative portal's message board operates.
The Free Board had operated anonymously until May 2023, serving as a key communication channel among employees. It was switched to a nickname-based system in June 2023 and then converted to a real-name "Staff Board" in October of that year, after which employees said they felt less able to speak freely and use of the board dropped sharply.
The district's integrity record has added urgency to the push for change: Mapo-gu has ranked in the bottom tier of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission's comprehensive public institution integrity assessment for three consecutive years.
Through the anonymous board, the district plans to gather a wide range of views on how the organization is run, incorporate creative policy proposals and on-the-ground feedback into district administration, and foster a healthier workplace culture in which employees take pride in their work. Officials also expect the change to have a positive effect on the district's integrity scores.
"A healthy organization is built when people can freely share not only good ideas but also hard truths — and when those truths are genuinely heard," Yu said. "In the belief that happy employees make for happy residents, I will do my utmost to establish an organizational culture of open communication and mutual respect."
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