District Mayor Communication Text Messages

A local autonomy communication tool through which district mayors directly deliver policy and administrative information to residents via text message.

District Mayor Communication Text Messages

Overview

District mayor communication text messages (구청장 소통문자) refer to a communication channel through which the head of a basic local government (district mayor) directly sends policy implementation status, administrative information, disaster and safety notices, etc., to residents in the jurisdiction in the form of mobile phone text messages (SMS, LMS, MMS) or mobile messenger messages. Representatively, many basic local governments nationwide, including each autonomous district in Seoul, operate them under brand names such as “Texts Sent by the District Mayor,” “District Mayor Letter,” and “Our Neighborhood News,” and they have become established as a means to enhance administrative transparency and resident accessibility in the era of local autonomy.

Main Content

Background

In the past, local governments relied on homepage notices, neighborhood meeting materials, banners, local newspapers, etc., to deliver information. However, as smartphone penetration surged, residents developed the habit of receiving information in real time, and after the mid-to-late 2010s, as directly elected local government heads’ demand to directly inform residents of their policy achievements and vision grew, the communication text system spread. In particular, it is sometimes used as a means to periodically report on the implementation status of election pledges.

Method of Operation

Most autonomous districts send text messages regularly once to four times a month to residents who have consented to receive them, based on resident registration and administrative information. The contents sent include △ status of major policy and project implementation △ administrative procedures and application guidance △ disaster and weather alerts △ transportation, environment, and welfare information △ news of the district mayor’s on-site activities, etc. Recently, they are evolving beyond simple text into multimedia forms that include card news, images, video links, survey links, etc.

Legal and Institutional Basis

Text message sending is governed by the Information and Communications Network Act, the Personal Information Protection Act, the Local Autonomy Act, and other regulations. Even for public-interest notices that are not advertising information, the recipient’s intention to refuse receipt must be respected, and restrictions on sending during nighttime hours, the appropriateness of sending frequency and costs, etc., are subjects of discussion. Some local governments specify the scope of communication text messages and standards for budget execution through ordinances.

Controversies and Issues

The main issues surrounding district mayor communication text messages are as follows.

Political bias: Concerns are raised that they may degenerate into a promotional tool for a particular political faction. The boundary between promoting election pledges and providing administrative information during election season can become blurred.
Budget waste: Some autonomous districts incur hundreds of millions of won in sending costs each year, sometimes sparking controversy over wasting taxpayer money.
Personal information and spam: If the opt-out procedure is complicated, or cases of sending without consent are discovered, they are subject to fines.
Information overload: As each local government and public institution sends text messages at the same time, residents sometimes complain of fatigue.

Representative Cases

Several autonomous districts, including Gangnam-gu, Mapo-gu, Seongdong-gu, and Songpa-gu in Seoul, have operated communication text messages under their own brands, and some have secured hundreds of thousands of subscribers. In provincial areas, basic local governments in Daejeon, Busan, and Gyeonggi region have also introduced similar services.

Latest Trends

As of 2024–2025, district mayor communication text messages are showing the following changes.

1. Expanded linkage with KakaoTalk and Naver channels: To overcome the burden of SMS fees and limits in delivery rates, there is a trend of diversifying channels to KakaoTalk Channel, Naver Band, YouTube community, etc.

2. AI-based personalization: Pilot projects have emerged that use artificial intelligence to automatically send customized content suited to residents’ interests (parenting, welfare, transportation, etc.).

3. Strengthened Ministry of the Interior and Safety guidelines: As recommendations continue to clarify public institutions’ text message sending standards and consent procedures, each autonomous district is revising its internal guidelines.

4. Resident participation-oriented communication: Moving away from simple one-way delivery, it is evolving into a two-way communication tool that combines survey, voting, and civil complaint receipt links.

5. Discussion of election law interpretation: To avoid controversy over prior election campaigning under the Public Official Election Act, cases of refraining from sending before and after election periods are increasing.