Suwon Becomes First Basic Local Government in Nation to Disclose 'Director-Level and Above Approval Documents'

[Suwon Ilbo = Reporter Seo Dong-young] Starting next year, Suwon City will become the first among basic local governments nationwide to disclose 'director-level and above approval documents' to citizens.

The city recently constructed a 'full-text information disclosure system' based on the OnNara System (the government's computerized administrative processing system) for the first time nationwide. Beginning January 2 next year, it plans to disclose director-level and above approval documents on Suwon City's homepage (http://www.suwon.go.kr) in the 'Information Disclosure/Open Government' bulletin board, it announced on the 26th.

Currently, local governments nationwide, including Suwon City, disclose only documents approved by vice heads of local governments (deputy mayors) and above through the information disclosure portal (https://www.open.go.kr) operated by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety.

When Suwon City expands the scope of information disclosure to include director-level and above approval documents, the administrative information of the city that citizens can access will increase significantly. The transparency and accountability of administration are also expected to improve.

'Transparent original text disclosure' is one of the city's pledges from the seventh elected administration. Going forward, the city plans to gradually expand the scope of information disclosure to disclose 'department head-level and above approval documents.'

In accordance with the expansion of disclosure scope for approval documents, the city plans to manage records more safely and provide continuous information disclosure training to employees to promote activation of information disclosure.

Additionally, the city plans to provide training on information disclosure processing and preliminary information disclosure matters to enable rapid delivery of information to citizens.

On the 21st, the city conducted records management and information disclosure training for approximately 300 public officials at the City Hall conference room. As of October 17 this year, Suwon City's 'original text disclosure rate for deputy head-level and above approval documents' stands at 71.7%.

Original text information disclosure is a system in which documents and materials produced by public institutions are disclosed as-is on the information disclosure portal operated by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety.

According to Article 8 of the 'Public Institutions Information Disclosure Act,' information held and managed in electronic form and classified as subject to disclosure must be disclosed through information disclosure systems utilizing information and communication networks, even without citizen requests for information disclosure.

A city official stated, "Citizens' requests for administrative information disclosure are continuously increasing, and the types of information being requested for disclosure are becoming more diverse," and added, "Through systematic records management and information disclosure, we will enhance administrative trust and transparently disclose information to citizens."