The legal effect of dialogue outcomes in administrative complaint settlement and recommendations for legal reform

Dialogue is an important stage in administrative complaint settlement because it enables competent authorities to clarify facts, assess differing viewpoints, and examine relevant evidence before issuing a decision. However, current law primarily regulates dialogue procedures while the legal effect of dialogue outcomes remains insufficiently defined. This study clarifies the legal nature of dialogue outcomes, analyzes their role in complaint settlement, and identifies shortcomings in the existing legal framework concerning their consideration and use. The study argues that dialogue outcomes have procedural, evidentiary, and accountability significance but do not automatically bind the complaint-settling authority. It therefore proposes legal reforms to strengthen the duty to explain how dialogue outcomes are considered, promote their substantive use, improve the quality of complaint settlement, and enhance transparency in administrative activities.