Seoul launches playbook to help call centers deal with hostile callers

For millions of Seoul residents, dialing 120 connects them to a 24-hour lifeline for city transit schedules, social welfare inquiries and municipal services.

But behind the scenes, answering the phone can also mean confronting severe verbal abuse, sexual harassment and hostile callers.

To protect these frontline workers — and meet surging global demand for its call-center operation protocols — the city-run 120 Dasan Call Foundation said Friday that it published a tactical desktop response playbook alongside a dedicated English edition.

The decision to launch an English version follows a steady stream of visits to the foundation from public sector officials representing Japan, Mongolia, Ukraine, Romania and Iran.

By codifying its emotional-labor protections into a multilanguage resource, Seoul aims to pioneer a standardized international framework for protecting public service personnel against caller hostility.

Public call center workers in Korea have long faced steep emotional labor demands, often expected to endure extreme rudeness under the traditional mantle of public service.

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