Good Practices and Innovations in Public Governance 2003-2011

2007 Category 2: Republic of Korea
Asia and the Pacific
Republic of Korea
2007 Category 2 Winner
Korea Immigration Smart Service (KISS)
Ministry of Justice, Republic of Korea
Description
Making immigration processes easier, faster and more secure through a new
automated and integrated immigration system.
Summary
The Korea Immigration Smart Service (KISS) is an innovative new immigration
clearance service, which has successfully transformed the immigration work system,
its processes, as well as the overall service quality.
The Problem
The outstanding economic growth of Korea has brought about a great increase in the
number of passengers who enter and depart from Korea. Today, this number reaches
around 100,000 visitors per day. This being the case, passengers inevitably spent
much time going through the passport and visa inspection process. Immigration offices
were not organized in a way that allowed for easy communication between the
Entry and Exit Immigration Divisions, which caused frustration among immigration
officials and delays for passengers. Customers spent a large amount of time lining up
for immigration clearance at the airports. The complicated process and unfriendly
attitude of immigration officers became the chief customer complaint. These were
the main barriers that kept the Korean immigration clearance service from reaching
high customer satisfaction. As this was the case, an innovative management system
was required to effectively cope with the increase of passengers and to deliver a good
quality immigration clearance service.
The Solution
To solve this issue, the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) decided to develop an innovative
immigration clearance service to satisfy customers and promote a more positive image
of the country. The initiative was called the “Korea Immigration Smart Service
(KISS)”. As a result, innovations were introduced in the organisation, work system,
process and service quality of the immigration system.
The Ministry of Justice’s Korean Immigration Department is responsible for visa issuance,
border management and residence services. The ministry’s service brand
KISS, represented by the friendly image of a Korean traditional mask, was created
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