Seoul City Free Public Wi-Fi 'Kkachion' Pang Pang~~~

Gangseo-gu Selected as Pilot Area for Seoul Public Wi-Fi 'Kkachion'...Wi-Fi 6 Technology Applied for 2x Wider Coverage and 4x Faster Service...Operating 1,480 Public Wi-Fi Units by Year-End, Ranking 1st Among 25 Districts

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] I usually did not use the internet much outside my home due to limited data. Recently, when I found out that Kkachion was installed, I tried connecting and was pleased that videos played without buffering. It is also very convenient to connect anywhere since the network name is unified as SEOUL. Kkachion user Lee ?? (Hwagok-dong)

Gangseo-gu, Seoul (District Mayor Noh Hyun-song) has been providing the free public Wi-Fi service ‘Kkachion,’ which offers speeds four times faster than before, since the 16th.

The district was selected as a pilot area for Seoul’s public Wi-Fi ‘Kkachion’ and installed 590 free Wi-Fi units in high foot traffic areas based on big data analysis, with plans to add 115 more units by the end of the year.

With ‘Kkachion,’ residents can use their smartphones to check maps or search the internet throughout Gangseo-gu?in parks, traditional markets, roads, and every corner?without worrying about data charges.

‘Kkachion’ is a name combining ‘kkachi,’ meaning magpie that brings good news, and ‘on,’ meaning Wi-Fi is turned on, symbolizing “a magpie bringing good news of better Wi-Fi coverage anywhere in Seoul.”

To connect, turn on the Wi-Fi function on your smartphone and select either the general access ‘SEOUL’ or the secure access ‘SEOUL_Secure.’

For secure access, enter the ID (username) and password as ‘seoul’ in lowercase.

Notably, secure access only needs to be set once; thereafter, ‘Kkachion’ will automatically connect wherever it is available, making it very convenient.

‘Kkachion’ applies the new Wi-Fi 6 technology, enabling service coverage twice as wide and speeds four times faster than previous Wi-Fi, which is expected to greatly satisfy users.

The district plans to continuously manage the service by working with external experts to measure communication quality and adjust equipment locations and directions, ensuring residents can enjoy the best service more conveniently.

Furthermore, once construction is completed by the end of the year, Gangseo-gu will operate a total of 1,480 public Wi-Fi devices?including the existing 775 units?covering about 25% of the district’s area, providing the highest level of free Wi-Fi service among the 25 autonomous districts.

This effort is a result of proactively responding to the acceleration of digital transformation and striving to create a smart city where residents can freely enjoy information and communication technology.

Mayor Noh Hyun-song of Gangseo-gu said, “The public Wi-Fi project guarantees residents’ basic communication rights, reduces the information gap, and lowers household communication expenses, making it a win-win project. We will continue to utilize wired and wireless communication networks and apply advanced smart city technologies across administration to lead Gangseo-gu as a pioneering autonomous district in smart governance.”