Icheon City Earns Third Consecutive 'National Happiness Civil Service Office' Certification, Receives Interior Ministry Commendation

Excellence in civil service administration recognized, following 2020 Presidential Award
AI voice bot and priority counters for vulnerable groups
Resident-centered services earn high marks; certification maintained through 2029

Icheon City in Gyeonggi Province, led by Mayor Seong Suseok, earned its third consecutive certification in the Ministry of the Interior and Safety's 2026 National Happiness Civil Service Office evaluation and received a commendation from the minister.

Icheon City has earned certification for the third consecutive time in the Ministry of the Interior and Safety's 2026 National Happiness Civil Service Office evaluation and received a commendation from the minister. The photo shows Icheon Mayor Sung Suseok. Provided by Icheon City.

Icheon City announced on October 16 that it had been selected for recertification as a National Happiness Civil Service Office and would retain its certification as an outstanding civil service office through 2029.

The National Happiness Civil Service Office program evaluates the environment and service quality of civil service offices at administrative agencies across the country, including local governments, offices of education, tax offices and police stations. The Ministry of the Interior and Safety grants certification to outstanding institutions.

Icheon City received its first National Happiness Civil Service Office certification in 2020, along with the Presidential Award. It has since earned recertification twice, making it an outstanding civil service office for three consecutive terms.

This year's evaluation covered five areas, seven indicators and 22 items, including the indoor and outdoor environment and safety of civil service offices, as well as civil services. The final certified institutions were selected following document reviews, on-site inspections, undercover assessments and customer satisfaction surveys.

To make the civil service office more convenient for residents, Icheon City remodeled it as an open lounge, a welcoming space for relaxation, and expanded the computers available to visitors and the health management area. It also improved its guidance system using universal design so that everyone can easily use the facilities.

In particular, the city strengthened its digital civil services by introducing an artificial intelligence (AI) voice bot available 24 hours a day and operating a chatbot for its civil service call center. It also worked to expand break rooms for civil service staff and create a safer working environment.

Customized services for socially vulnerable groups also received high marks. The city replaced all its signs with versions designed for people with low vision and operates priority service counters for seniors, people with disabilities and pregnant women.

The city has also installed assistance bells for visitors with limited mobility and provided Braille guidebooks and daily living guides for foreign residents. It has improved convenience for residents by assigning civil service guides and operating an after-hours civil service office every Tuesday.

The city plans to receive a recertification plaque produced by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety in December and hold a plaque unveiling ceremony for the National Happiness Civil Service Office.

Icheon Mayor Seong Suseok said, "The recertification as a National Happiness Civil Service Office and the minister's commendation are the result of our efforts to improve the civil service environment and services from the perspective of residents. We will continue to create a resident-centered civil service office where everyone can take care of their administrative needs comfortably and in a pleasant setting."

He added, "We will actively identify convenience measures tailored to residents' diverse needs and provide the best possible civil services."

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