Entrusting Beach Safety Duties to State-of-the-Art Intelligent CCTV

Busan City Promotes Establishment of Safe Beaches Year-Round Using Advanced Technology
All Busan Beaches to Introduce 'Intelligent CCTV' by 2024
Permanent Water Rescue Personnel Deployed to Strengthen Safety Management During Off-Season
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Conceptual diagram of the beach safety system being developed by Busan City.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Yong-woo] By 2024, intelligent CCTV will be installed at all beaches in Busan, and by 2025, a marine leisure safety platform is expected to be completed.

With the installation of intelligent CCTV at beaches, 'safe' management of beaches will be maintained even during the off-season.

The Busan Metropolitan City (Acting Mayor Byun Seong-wan) announced on the 22nd that it plans to sequentially establish a beach safety management system utilizing advanced technology by 2025 to ensure year-round beach safety, including the introduction of intelligent CCTV.

The city will assign fixed safety personnel at each beach to conduct patrol activities for beach safety even during the off-season, and will additionally secure personnel through the Hope Job program.

Safety accident warning signs and hazardous area signs will be reinforced, and announcements urging caution against swell waves and entering the water will be broadcast continuously.

Currently, water rescue personnel are deployed only at Haeundae and Songjeong beaches, but the city plans to expand deployment to all seven beaches by applying for a total of 2.9 billion KRW in national funds from the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries. Additionally, on the 12th, the city proposed an amendment to the Beach Act to limit swimming hours to before sunset.

In cases like the recent drowning accident involving middle school students at Dadaepo Beach, where the beach is wide and sparsely populated during the off-season, safety personnel alone have limitations in accident prevention. Therefore, an intelligent CCTV system, which is a guidance and warning broadcast system to control access to hazardous areas, will be installed.

The intelligent CCTV will be first installed at Dadaepo Beach and Songdo Beach in the first half of next year, and after analyzing the results, it will be introduced to all beaches in Busan by 2024.

Preparation will also be made for water leisure accidents such as diving and surfing. Using 5G technology, a safety platform will be established that detects water pressure and pulse of personal safety equipment worn by leisure users and automatically sends signals to managers in emergencies.

The Busan Institute of Industrial Science and Technology (BISTEP) is planning to develop a safety equipment system including wristwatch-type personal underwater hazard signal transmitters and ground receivers. Once national funding is confirmed in March next year, full-scale development will begin, aiming for completion by 2025.

Acting Mayor Byun Seong-wan of Busan said, “By introducing a safety accident prevention system utilizing advanced information and communication technology, the risk of accidents caused by swell waves, tsunamis, and storms due to worsening weather conditions can be greatly reduced.”