Mapo District Introduces Seoul’s First ‘AI Duty Voicebot’ Among Autonomous Districts

AI to Handle After-Hours and Holiday Civil Complaint Calls
Official Launch Scheduled for January Next Year

On weekday evenings after office hours and on holidays, civil complaints calls to the Mapo District Office duty room are initially received by artificial intelligence (AI). On October 6, Mapo District (Mayor Yudong Gyun) announced that, for the first time among Seoul’s 25 autonomous districts, it will launch a three-month pilot operation of the ‘AI Duty Voicebot’ starting this month through December. This service is designed to have AI respond to civil complaint calls during nighttime and holiday hours.

Mayor Yoo Donggyun of Mapo District poses next to the 'AI Duty Voicebot' information screen. Provided by Mapo District.

The AI Duty Voicebot is an interactive telephone response service that communicates with callers, identifies their inquiry, and either provides guidance or registers complaints as appropriate. The district has prepared standard response scenarios by complaint type so that the system can handle simple guidance, complaint registrations, and transfers to the on-duty staff as needed.

If a call is made to the district’s duty room (02-3153-8100) during on-duty hours—such as weekday nights, weekends, or public holidays—it connects immediately to the AI Voicebot without any waiting time. For department phone numbers or work-related inquiries, the AI provides instant answers. For issues that are difficult for the duty room to handle directly, such as the location of night medical facilities or pharmacies, water leaks or supply interruptions, and noise between apartments, the AI informs the caller of the responsible agency or how to report the issue.

For routine complaints such as illegal parking, construction site noise, or uncollected garbage, the AI directly registers the complaint. In cases of illegal parking, for example, the bot first asks for the vehicle’s location and then verifies details such as type and license plate number, forwarding the case as a field enforcement complaint. Upon completion, the details of the registered complaint are sent to the complainant by text message for verification.

For on-site issues requiring immediate inspection and swift action, such as road subsidence or manhole damage, the system connects the caller to the on-duty staff. In emergencies, such as fires or the appearance of dangerous animals, the AI guides callers to the appropriate agency, such as 119 or 112, depending on the situation.

The Voicebot can handle multiple calls simultaneously and automatically records call details. The district expects that this will reduce waiting times for civil complainants and prevent omissions in the relay of complaints. By having AI take care of simple and repetitive inquiries, on-duty staff will be able to focus more effectively on responding to disasters or safety incidents.

During the pilot period, the district will assess the system’s accuracy and convenience in real operating conditions. By the end of December, the feedback from both departments and on-duty staff will be reflected for system improvements, with plans for a full rollout starting in January next year.

Mayor Yudong Gyun of Mapo District stated, “By using AI technology, we will ensure that residents receive the assistance they need late at night or on holidays without having to wait. The AI will handle simple and repetitive inquiries promptly, allowing staff to focus even more on urgent cases and those requiring direct attention as we continuously enhance the system.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.