Seoul’s Mapo District Launches AI Voice Bot for Night and Holiday Complaint Calls
Version 2: A third outlet, Kyunghyang Shinmun, has added coverage confirming the pilot details, including that accepted complaints are confirmed to callers by text message and that formal operation is scheduled for January 2027.
In short
Mapo District in Seoul said it is the first of the city’s 25 autonomous districts to introduce an AI duty voice bot that answers civil complaint calls on weekday evenings, weekends and holidays. The system runs as a three-month pilot from October through December, with formal operation planned from January after feedback from departments and duty staff. The bot gives simple information and takes complaints, passes urgent cases to on-duty staff and directs emergencies to 119 or 112.
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Mapo District in Seoul said it has become the first of the city’s 25 autonomous districts to introduce an AI duty voice bot that answers civil complaint calls made on weekday evenings, weekends and public holidays, and that it will run the system as a three-month pilot from October through December. Asia Economy, Yonhap and Kyunghyang Shinmun all reported the announcement on 6 October, citing the district office headed by Yoo Dong-gyun. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
According to the three reports, calls to the district office duty room at 02-3153-8100 during duty hours are connected first to the AI bot, in one document without any waiting time. The service is conversational: it works from standardised response scenarios for each type of inquiry and can give simple information, take down a complaint or connect the caller to the on-duty officer. Department phone numbers and work-related questions are answered directly, while matters the duty room cannot handle itself — night clinics and pharmacies, water leaks or supply cuts, and floor noise — are met with the relevant agency or the method for reporting them. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Everyday complaints such as illegal parking, construction site noise and uncollected trash are accepted by the bot, which asks for the location and details of the case and then passes it on. Asia Economy described the parking process in more detail: the bot asks first for the vehicle’s location and then confirms the model and plate number before forwarding it as a field enforcement complaint. Asia Economy and Kyunghyang Shinmun reported that once a complaint is accepted, the caller is sent a text message with the details so they can check them again. [ 1 , 3 ]
Complaints needing on-site checks and quick action, such as road subsidence or a broken manhole, are handed to duty staff, and emergencies such as fires or dangerous animals are directed to 119 or 112 as appropriate, all three documents said. The bot can take several calls at the same time and automatically records call content, according to Asia Economy and Yonhap. The district expects this to cut waiting times and prevent details from being lost in the handover, and says that having AI handle simple, repetitive inquiries will let duty staff concentrate on disaster and safety incidents. [ 1 , 2 ]
The district will check the system’s accuracy and convenience during the trial, incorporate feedback from departments and duty staff at the end of December and begin formal operation in January, Asia Economy reported; Kyunghyang Shinmun put formal operation at January 2027, while Yonhap said only that the district would refine the system and operate it formally starting next year. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Yoo Dong-gyun was quoted by all three outlets as saying the district will use AI technology so residents can receive the guidance they need without waiting late at night or on holidays, and that simple, repetitive inquiries will be handled quickly by AI while staff focus more on urgent matters or cases needing direct handling. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Why it matters
The pilot is a local test of using conversational AI to cover off-hours public phone lines that districts currently staff with duty officers. If it works, it could change how Seoul’s district offices handle night and holiday calls and how duty staff spend their time. The documents give no call volumes or results, so the practical effect is not yet demonstrated.
Key facts
- Mapo District said it is the first of Seoul’s 25 autonomous districts to introduce an AI duty voice bot for night and holiday civil complaint calls. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The bot is being piloted for three months, from October to the end of December. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Calls to the district office duty room at 02-3153-8100 during duty hours are connected first to the AI voice bot. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The bot gives information such as department phone numbers, and for matters the duty room cannot handle directly — night clinics and pharmacies, water leaks or supply cuts, and floor noise — it provides the relevant agency or reporting method. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- It accepts everyday complaints including illegal parking, construction site noise and uncollected trash, asking for location and details. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Complaints needing rapid action, such as road subsidence or broken manholes, are connected to on-duty staff, and emergencies such as fires or dangerous animals are directed to 119 or 112 as appropriate. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The bot can answer several calls at once and automatically records call content. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Asia Economy reported the district plans to review accuracy and convenience during the pilot, incorporate departmental and duty staff feedback in late December and begin formal operation in January, which Kyunghyang Shinmun specified as January 2027. [ 1 , 3 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Mapo District introduced an AI voice bot for night and holiday civil complaint calls and is running a pilot through the end of December. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The district says it is the first among Seoul’s autonomous districts to do so. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- During duty hours, calls to the district office duty room at 02-3153-8100 are answered first by the AI bot. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The bot provides simple information, accepts everyday complaints and connects callers to duty staff or other agencies depending on the case. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Formal operation is planned to begin next year, after the pilot and feedback from departments and duty staff. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Still unclear
- Whether the bot is being deployed by an outside vendor and at what cost. No document names a developer, supplier or budget for the system.
- How many calls the bot is expected to handle or how it performs in practice. No call volumes or accuracy figures are given; all three documents say performance will be checked during the trial.
- Whether the system will be extended to other Seoul districts. The documents describe Mapo as the first to adopt it but state no expansion plan.
- The exact start date of formal operation. Asia Economy and Kyunghyang say January, with Kyunghyang specifying January 2027, while Yonhap says only that it will be formally operated starting next year.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Asia Economy publishes its report on Mapo District’s introduction of the AI duty voice bot and the three-month pilot. [ 1 ]
- Yonhap publishes its report on the same introduction, describing Mapo as the first Seoul autonomous district to adopt such a service. [ 2 ]
- Kyunghyang Shinmun publishes its report, adding that complaint intake is confirmed to callers by text message and that formal operation is scheduled for January 2027. [ 3 ]