More than 50 employees across job series and grades attend forum tackling sensitive topics including designation of high-stress and unpopular posts
Gangseo-gu District Mayor Jin Kyo-hoon stepped forward Monday to improve the district's personnel management system and build a civil service workplace where employees want to work, drawing directly on staff feedback.
Jin attended the "2026 Personnel Policy Forum" held that afternoon in the district office's main conference room, where he held a candid exchange with more than 50 employees representing various job series and grades. Union representatives and personnel officials also took part.
The session ran well past its scheduled one-hour slot, stretching to two hours as questions from employees and responses from Jin flowed without pause.
Before the main discussion began, Jin laid out the forum's purpose. "Introducing the right systems requires that fairness, validity and reliability be established as preconditions," he said. "We will set aside as much as possible the existing criteria for designating high-stress and unpopular posts and actively reflect employees' opinions."
Drawing on the results of a prior staff survey, participants exchanged views across job grades on issues including the introduction of a bonus-point system for high-stress and unpopular duties, and ways to address so-called "office villains" — colleagues whose conduct harms those around them.
On sensitive topics such as the selection of high-stress and unpopular posts — which have a significant bearing on employee job satisfaction — a wide range of opinions emerged, covering everything from selection criteria and tenure periods to procedures and the composition of the selection committee.
Following the forum with the district mayor, participants split into six groups for breakout discussions on topics including whether to abolish the daily cap on overtime hours and how to run a mentor-mentee program for junior civil servants.
The district office plans to review all feedback from the forum through a meeting of its "Personnel Management Improvement Evaluation Panel" and establish a personnel system that employees can feel the effects of on the ground.
"Personnel management is not a matter of authority for those who hold it — it is a matter of responsibility," Jin said. "We will build an organization people want to work for by creating a personnel system that allows every individual employee to demonstrate their capabilities and that all staff can stand behind."
seouldream01@heraldcorp.com
