Seoul Hangang Park Parking Lot, Exit in 2 Seconds with 'KakaoT' App Prepayment

Seoul Metropolitan Government Hangang Project Headquarters - Kakao Mobility Business Agreement
Introduction of 43 Parking Lots Starting Next Year ... Average Exit Time Reduced by 10 Times

On the 20th, when the weather was fully autumnal, citizens who visited Mangwon Hangang Park in Seoul enjoyed riding bicycles. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo dso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] The Hangang Park parking lots, where exit times were delayed due to parking fee payments on weekends and holidays, will be transformed into smart parking lots based on the KakaoT app starting from the new year.

The Hangang Project Headquarters of Seoul City announced on the 24th that it will sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Kakao Mobility Co., Ltd. to enable automatic payment when passing through the parking gate upon exit by registering a payment card in advance on the KakaoT app's pre-registration payment service, allowing non-stop exit.

Accordingly, vehicles visiting Hangang Park that register their vehicle number and payment card using the KakaoT app's pre-registration payment service will have their parking fees automatically paid as the parking facilities recognize the vehicle number and parking time. In this case, the average exit time is expected to be reduced from the current 20 seconds to 2 seconds, about one-tenth of the previous time.

Information on the locations, parking fees, and expected congestion levels of 43 Hangang Park parking lots has also been added to the KakaoT app. By selecting the 'Parking' tab in the app and searching for Hangang Park parking lots, users can check locations and fees. Selecting a desired parking lot and pressing 'Directions' allows navigation via Kakao Navi. The app shows real-time expected congestion by time zone, and if the lot is full, users can be guided to nearby alternative parking lots.

The Hangang Project Headquarters of Seoul City and Kakao Mobility plan to complete system construction and pilot operation by the end of this year and apply the service to all 11 Hangang Park parking lots starting January next year.

The city also plans to introduce Seoul City's 'Baro Green Payment' service in the first half of next year to expand the non-stop pre-registration payment service and will further review ways to link with private parking services.

Shin Yong-mok, head of the Hangang Project Headquarters of Seoul City, said, "We expect that this MOU will significantly improve exit congestion at Hangang Park parking lots," adding, "We will continue to expand exit lanes and cooperation with the private sector to enable citizens to conveniently use Hangang Park."