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Promotional poster for the 2026 public app UI/UX citizen evaluation panel recruitment. / Courtesy of Ministry of the Interior and Safety

The government is openly recruiting a "citizen evaluation panel" to improve major public mobile applications and websites in line with public expectations.

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety (MOIS) announced on August 12 that it will openly recruit 360 members for its citizen evaluation panel from August 13 to 28 to directly gather public feedback on the usability and design of key public mobile services. The citizen evaluation panel is a program operated annually since 2023 to expand public participation in enhancing public services.

Any South Korean citizen aged 19 or older who can use the internet and smartphones may apply. The selected panel will evaluate the usability, design, and other aspects of mobile apps operated by central administrative agencies for three months from September through November.

This year, the composition of the panel has been diversified to reflect the shift toward mobile-centered user environments for public services. Age groups previously managed as "60 and older" have been subdivided into "60s" and "70 and older," while the proportion of visually impaired evaluators—including those with total blindness and low vision—has also expanded.

Among citizens who faithfully participate in evaluations, a select group will be designated as the "in-depth evaluation panel." Detailed interviews will be conducted with these members to gather specific causes of inconvenience experienced while using public mobile services and proposed improvements.

The evaluation targets mobile apps operated by 49 central administrative agencies. For agencies that do not operate a separate app, their mobile websites will be evaluated for usability and design. The results will be delivered to each central administrative agency to be utilized in refining mobile service designs and enhancing or supplementing functions.

Further details regarding recruitment quotas by age group and evaluation schedules can be found in the official notices posted on the websites of MOIS and the National Information Society Agency.

Hwang Gyu-chul, Director General of the AI Government Bureau at MOIS, stated, "As this year's panel captures a broader spectrum of public voices, including seniors aged 70 and older, we expect the vivid suggestions from citizens to serve as a solid foundation for creating public mobile services that anyone can use easily and conveniently."

                                                                                                            Kim Bo-young