Seodaemun-gu Expands 'Ddokddokmunan Service' to Check on Residents in Crisis

Single-person youth households, vulnerable two-person households, and single-parent families can also subscribe to the service... If there is no mobile phone call record for a certain period, local community center staff will check on them... 'Notification period' shortened from 1-10 days to 1-5 days with individual setting criteria established

[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] Seodaemun-gu (Mayor Moon Seok-jin) is expanding the target of the so-called ‘Ddokddok Check-in Service’ for verifying the safety of residents in crisis from mainly single elderly aged 65 and over and middle-aged single-person households to include housing-vulnerable young single-person households, vulnerable two-person households, and single-parent families.

Earlier, in April 2018, the district launched this service for the first time nationwide in cooperation with SK Telecom and IT developer Rookies, which confirms residents’ safety based on mobile phone call records when requested by residents.

In December last year, the monitoring target was expanded from SK Telecom subscribers to subscribers of all telecommunications companies. Currently, about 2,100 residents benefit from the service.

The expansion of the service scope, implemented from this week, is in response to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, which has increased the possibility of social isolation among various vulnerable groups, not just the elderly.

The district also systematized the criteria for setting individual ‘notification periods.’ This refers to the ‘period of absence of communication records,’ which serves as the standard for community center staff to check on residents’ safety.

Since setting a longer notification period could reduce the system’s effectiveness, the district shortened the notification period from the previous 1 to 10 days to 1 to 5 days.

Accordingly, among five items (welfare recipient, disabled, housing vulnerable, no supporting family, not currently receiving welfare services), if all five apply, the notification period is set to a minimum of 1 day; if 0 to 1 item applies, the period is set to a maximum of 5 days.

Existing subscribers will also reset their ‘notification periods’ according to this standard. For example, if the notification period is 1 day, a safety check will be initiated if there is no communication record for 24 hours.

Mayor Moon Seok-jin urged, “Residents who feel anxious because they cannot frequently call their parents living alone in Seodaemun-gu, or those in single-person households, two-person households, or single-parent families who worry about their own and their family’s safety, please apply for the service at your residence or the nearest community center.”

The ‘Ddokddok Check-in Service System’ uploads alert information to the district office’s internal network if there is no communication record for the individually set period for the service target resident?that is, if no calls are made or the mobile phone is turned off.

It also automatically sends text messages and emails to community center officials to check on the resident’s safety.

The responsible official attempts to contact the target person by mobile phone and, if necessary, visits their residence to directly confirm their safety and then inputs the action results into the system.

The service applies not only to smartphones but also to ‘2G phones,’ which are widely used by the elderly. The district covers the monthly usage fee of 1,000 KRW per person, so subscribing residents can use the service free of charge.