[Interview] Kim Mikyung, Eunpyeong District Mayor, "Creating a Smart City Leading the 4th Industrial Revolution Era"

AI Utilization Across Various Fields... CCTV Monitoring, X-ray Image Analysis, Smart Crosswalks, and More

[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] “What is most meaningful is that we have protected the health and safety of residents through the integrated platform we have diligently built, and created a smart city Eunpyeong where people, technology, and space coexist harmoniously.”

Kim Mikyung, Mayor of Eunpyeong District, said in an interview with this publication, “By efficiently integrating core infrastructures of the 4th Industrial Revolution such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IOT) technologies into district administration, we were able to solve problems and provide more convenient services to residents.”

Eunpyeong District has been focusing on smart city projects that utilize smart technologies to solve local issues even before COVID-19. It introduced resident-experienced smart services applying advanced technologies such as AI, cloud, data, and IoT in various fields including safety, health, resource circulation, disaster and accident prevention, traffic safety, and non-face-to-face services.

In the safety sector, the district established ▲24-hour Women’s Safety app operation ▲smart city safety network through five linked services ▲smart deep learning selective surveillance solutions.

The ‘Smart Deep Learning Selective Surveillance Solution Project’ manages CCTV using AI technology and interprets abnormalities of objects through video. Mayor Kim emphasized the advantages of using smart technology, saying, “By sharing AI roles, the number of real-time monitored cameras per operator increased from 48 to about 360, and it is expected to save up to 600 million KRW annually in labor costs.”

In the health sector, the district provides the ‘AI X-ray Image Reading Support Service.’ Utilizing AI and cloud technology, the scope of X-ray readings at public health centers has expanded from tuberculosis to all major lung diseases including lung cancer and pneumothorax. Mayor Kim explained, “Through AI, the reading accuracy increased to 98%, and the reading time was shortened to within 15 seconds, enabling rapid early diagnosis.”

The AI X-ray reading service was recognized for excellence by winning the Presidential Award at the 2019 Ministry of the Interior and Safety’s ‘Public Service Innovation Best Practice Competition.’ It has also been benchmarked by six local governments including Ansan City.

In the traffic safety sector, the district secured safety tailored to pedestrian perspectives by establishing ▲school zone smart crosswalk traffic safety systems ▲pedestrian traffic safety smart systems using radar ▲children’s eye-level yellow carpets and LED traffic safety signs ▲smart intelligent CCTV installations.

The ‘School Zone Smart Crosswalk Traffic Safety System’ is designed for children vulnerable to traffic accidents by applying ICT technology to crosswalks around elementary school routes. Mayor Kim said, “When pedestrians enter the roadway during a red light, the system provides voice warnings of danger, and LED electronic boards display traffic safety campaigns and quarantine guidelines, delivering daily information to residents.”

To build the school zone traffic safety system, the district applied AI machine learning to analyze various pedestrian environment types within school zones. To understand the walking environment, 24 elementary students wore special glasses and body cams to record obstacles and surroundings on their way to and from school, and the footage was analyzed in detail.

In the resource circulation sector, the district helped residents’ convenience by creating ▲IoT-based eco-friendly Hyangrim rainwater circulation villages ▲AI-based large waste collection systems ▲AI object recognition deep learning systems that allow waste reporting via mobile devices.

Additionally, in the disaster and accident prevention sector, the district introduced ▲RFID tag-based real-time construction defect management systems ▲data-based elevation and slope analysis systems ▲IoT sensor risk facility data analysis systems.

The ‘IoT Sensor Risk Facility Data Analysis System’ attaches IoT sensors to facilities to automatically detect abnormal changes such as vibration, tilt, and cracks to prevent risks. Target facilities include aging apartments, villas, and walls rated C, D, or E in safety inspections. Mayor Kim said, “District officials can preemptively identify abnormal changes in aging facilities and issue early warnings at appropriate times, minimizing risk situations.”

In July last year, the district signed a smart city creation business agreement with the University of Seoul. The main agreement contents include ▲discovering services in administration, safety, welfare, traffic, environment, etc., using Eunpyeong District public data ▲utilizing data and AI projects ▲research, development, and advancement related to public data utilization ▲smart innovation technologies and services.

Mayor Kim emphasized, “We have focused on creating a smart city Eunpyeong based on advanced technologies to respond to disaster safety emergencies and support socially vulnerable groups. Moving forward, we will continue to promote various projects applying new technologies based on data-driven digital administrative innovation to revitalize the local economy stagnated by COVID-19 and further enhance global competitiveness.”