“Five Minutes Left” ... Seoul 120 Dasan Call to Automatically End Calls Exceeding 20 Minutes

[Financial News]  Seoul is introducing a time limit for calls to 120 Dasan Call, the city’s public complaint hotline. The system will automatically end a call once 20 minutes have passed since the consultation began. The measure aims to ease the emotional labor burden on counselors caused by some lengthy complaint calls and shorten other citizens’ wait times. The Seoul 120 Dasan Call Foundation said it would begin operating the “20-minute call termination system” at 6 p.m. on the 20th.
After 15 minutes of consultation, the new system will play a voice prompt saying that five minutes remain before the call ends. Once 20 minutes have passed, it will issue another prompt and then automatically end the call. To inform citizens in advance, the call time limit policy will also be announced through the automated response system (ARS) before they are connected.
However, not all calls will automatically end after 20 minutes. An exception allows consultations to be extended when more time is needed to resolve a complaint. If callers have further questions after a call ends, they can call 120 again for assistance.
The measure was introduced to address the shortcomings of the previous system, under which counselors had to ask callers themselves to end lengthy calls. The foundation said that counselors had experienced psychological stress while asking complainants to end calls, and that when some calls ran long, other citizens were often delayed in getting through. 
The foundation has taken legal action, including filing complaints and accusations, over malicious complaints involving verbal abuse, profanity or sexual harassment. It has also responded in stages, under separate work guidelines, to callers who repeatedly call or stay on the line for a long time. However, the foundation says counselors still had to bear the burden of persuading callers themselves to end the call. 
The foundation plans to actively inform citizens about the changes to the consultation process during the initial rollout and monitor any inconveniences that arise during operation.
Song Ju-beom, chairman of the 120 Dasan Call Foundation, said, “This measure is intended to reduce the burden counselors face from lengthy calls and provide citizens with smoother consultation services.” He added, “We will continue working to create an environment where counselors can work with peace of mind and ensure that more citizens can get help quickly and conveniently.” 
[email protected] Seong Chorong Reporter