総務 and 事務: An Administrative Contact and Office Work
Compare receiving a key and a request to ask administrative staff with invoice organization and a system simplifying procedures. Distinguish contact or department references from office-work activities.
Receiving a key and asking about supplies
総務 (そうむ) means general affairs or administration. 「会場の鍵を総務から受け取った。」 — “I received the key to the venue from the general affairs office.” The Korean quotation names the administrative contact, while English names the general affairs office. Preserve that range without making 総務 only a person or a room.
「備品については総務の担当者に尋ねてください。」 — “Please ask the administrative staff about the supplies.” This requests that the administrative staff be asked about supplies. It does not report an already completed consultation or an answer received.
Organizing invoices and introducing a system
事務 (じむ) means office work or administration. 「午前中は請求書を整理する事務を担当した。」 — “In the morning, I handled the office work of organizing invoices.” The morning's office work was organizing invoices.
「事務の手続きを簡単にする仕組みを導入した。」 — “We introduced a system that simplifies administrative procedures.” A system to simplify administrative procedures was introduced. Introducing it does not establish that all administrative work is finished.
Contacts or departments and processing activities
The 総務 examples focus on the contact or department supplying a key or to be asked about supplies. The 事務 examples focus on invoice organization and administrative procedures.
Receiving the key is a past action; asking about supplies is a request. The system's introduction is another separate action, rather than part of one completed consultation and processing event.
Does asking someone to consult 総務の担当者 about supplies report that an answer was already received?
Show the answer and why
No. It specifies whom to ask. It does not report a completed inquiry or answer, and the key-receipt example is a separate past action.