Residents left in the dark as city websites and org charts omit staff names — critics say civil servants perform public duties and should be identifiable
Some local governments in South Jeolla Province are drawing complaints from residents after making their organizational charts anonymous — omitting the names of individual civil servants — amid the administrative reorganization that merged South Jeolla Province and Gwangju into the new Jeonnam-Gwangju Special Metropolitan City this month.
The municipalities cite personal data protection and concerns about abusive complainants as justification for anonymizing not only the org charts posted at department entrances inside city halls but also those on their official websites. Critics say the practice is excessively secretive.
A Yeosu resident surnamed Seo, 48, said that when residents call with inquiries, staff are quick to pass them off to other departments, and some civil servants answer the phone by stating only their department name without identifying themselves.
The contrast with neighboring Suncheon is stark. Under former Mayor Noh Gwan-gyu, Suncheon installed digital organizational displays inside its city hall that clearly show each staff member's photo, name and area of responsibility — a move that has drawn praise from residents.
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