South Korean municipalities pilot AI for administrative services

Local governments in South Korea are implementing artificial intelligence to streamline administrative services and civil complaints.

Siheung City has launched a pilot program for its AI-based civil application guidance service through its chatbot, ‘Aiheungon’. Running from October 6 to November 30, the service helps citizens quickly identify required documents, application requirements, and relevant departments without manually searching the city website. While it provides information, it does not handle the direct submission of documents.

In Mapo-gu, a pilot ‘AI Duty Voicebot’ system has been introduced to handle inquiries during nights and holidays. The system can manage multiple simultaneous calls, providing information on department numbers, pharmacies, or water issues, and can even register civil complaints such as illegal parking or noise. For urgent matters like fires or road damage, the system connects callers to human staff or emergency services. Mapo-gu plans to refine the system based on feedback for a full launch in January 2027.