Yongsan-gu Implements 'Smart City' Connecting Citizens and Urban Data

[Seoul Autonomous District News] Yongsan-gu Completes 2022-2026 Smart City Plan: 35 Projects Over 5 Years Including 7 Expansion, 9 Advancement, and 19 New Proposals... Geumcheon Science Cube Operates Ongoing Programs Featuring Vrtux Omni VR, 3D Printers, Haptic Content, and More... Seocho-gu Residents Design Smart City Through ‘Living Lab’... Yangcheon-gu Opens Smart Digital Experience and Education Center for Seniors at Mokdong Kkaebi Market Sharing Center

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Yongsan-gu (Mayor Seongjanghyun) has completed the establishment of the ‘2022-2026 Smart City Plan’ and will actively promote the creation of Smart City Yongsan.

The ‘2022-2026 Smart City Plan’ aims to create a data city that connects residents and the city, containing 35 implementation tasks across three fields?diffusion type, advancement type, and new proposal type?under two main strategies: service composition and infrastructure development.

The diffusion and advancement projects are based on various types of smart city projects currently being promoted by the district, setting projects that need to be expanded or advanced in the future. The new proposal type is a regionally specialized service that embraces city and central government smart projects.

The diffusion type includes seven projects such as ▲replacement of intelligent CCTV at major hubs ▲installation of smart crosswalks in child and elderly protection zones ▲creation of smart parking lots at tourism and commercial hubs ▲resident-priority parking sharing service based on IoT sensors in the old downtown ▲establishment of a digital-based safety management system for aging risk facilities. Through the diffusion projects, the district expects to solve service imbalance issues by reflecting regional characteristics.

The district is promoting nine advancement projects including ▲online video welfare counseling ▲creation of the Dream Tree Comprehensive Town IoT Smart Playground ▲development of historical and cultural renaissance AR content ▲installation of barrier-free kiosks ▲creation of integrated smart parks. These projects aim to advance services by linking and integrating data in projects that were previously operated fragmentarily at the existing smart function level. Upon completion, the advancement projects are expected to improve service usage and management convenience.

The new proposal type includes 12 projects such as ▲expansion of communication networks ▲support services for smart IoT devices ▲citizen-participatory smart tourism map creation platform ▲commercial district revitalization services linked with public cultural facilities, aimed at infrastructure construction, urban problem solving, citizen participation activation, public-private cooperation, and citizen capacity building based on urban diagnosis and smart diagnosis results.

The district will proceed with the projects step-by-step according to the roadmap divided into ▲initial (2022-2023) ▲mid-term (2024-2025) ▲later (after 2026). Additionally, based on the smart city plan, it will actively participate in central government and Seoul city public projects to secure national and city funds and procure resources through private company investments.

Seong Janghyun, Mayor of Yongsan-gu, said, “Smart cities add technology to spaces to enhance regional competitiveness and prevent and solve various urban problems. The plan established this time will be the foundation for Yongsan, where regional development such as the International Business District development and Hannam redevelopment is imminent, to leap forward as a world-class smart city.”

Geumcheon-gu (Mayor Yoo Seong-hoon) announced that it will operate ongoing programs at Geumcheon Science Cube to promote scientific culture.

‘Geumcheon Science Cube’ (783 Geumha-ro) is a space created so that any Geumcheon resident can easily access science and technology and enjoy it as part of everyday culture.

At the Smart Space, ▲science film screenings ▲haptic content are conducted; in the one-person YouTuber room, ▲video shooting and media content production; and in the mini studio, ▲e-learning content production programs are operated.

Residents can also experience ▲3D pen three-dimensional model making ▲Virtuix Omni VR (virtual reality) games, among others.

Any Geumcheon resident can apply, but some restrictions on equipment use may apply for safety reasons. Operating hours are every Tuesday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and applications can be made on the Geumcheon Science Cube website by program.

In addition to the above programs, Geumcheon Science Cube is conducting makers career experience programs such as ‘Making a mechanical pencil using woodworking skills’ and ‘Making a Bluetooth speaker’ for about 750 students from eight middle schools in cooperation with the Geumcheon Career and Academic Support Center.

Yoo Seong-hoon, Mayor of Geumcheon-gu, said, “I hope that scientific culture will take root in Geumcheon-gu as all residents easily access science and technology amid the wave of the 4th Industrial Revolution,” adding, “We will continue to strive to foster the region’s science and technology culture.”

Seocho-gu is recruiting teams for the ‘2022 Seocho Smart City Living Lab’ project, which solves neighborhood problems using smart technology, until the 23rd.

‘Smart City Living Lab’ means a ‘living laboratory’ where residents actively participate in discovering problems arising in daily life, defining problems, and deriving improvement plans. It involves using 4th industrial smart technologies such as IoT (Internet of Things) and AI (Artificial Intelligence) to find solutions to urban problems like traffic congestion, environmental pollution, and safety issues.

The district is promoting this living lab project to provide highly resident-satisfactory, life-close smart city services by reflecting demand through voluntary resident participation rather than government-led policy-making.

Applicants can be teams of 5 to 10 people consisting of residents interested in the district’s smart city policies, local workers, or students.

Applicants can choose between ‘designated tasks’ and ‘free tasks’ for the contest. The designated task is ‘strengthening the local safety network using digital technology,’ and the free task allows applicants to freely propose neighborhood problems they want to solve by applying smart technology or tasks that can improve residents’ lives.

The district will hold a selection committee on the 28th to select six teams and officially operate the ‘Living Lab Project’ from July.

The six selected teams will hold five workshops from July to October to empathize with the problems residents feel and derive blueprints for solutions. Additionally, the district plans to actively support the development of policies incorporating smart technology through advice from experts in the 4th industrial technology field.

Afterward, a performance sharing session will be held to select and award excellent project teams. The selected outstanding projects will be reviewed for linkage with national and Seoul city public projects and promoted for demonstration and pilot operation next year.

Applicants can download the application form from the Seocho-gu Office website notice board and submit it via email. For more details, contact the Seocho Living Lab project office or the Seocho-gu Office Smart City Division.

The district held a project briefing session on the 13th for about 90 residents to explain the necessity and operation plan of the project to increase residents’ understanding of the living lab.

Meanwhile, Seocho-gu is creating ‘Smart City Seocho’ and is operating eight digital booths nationwide for the first time to proactively respond to the recent transition to a non-face-to-face era. It is promoting various smart technology-related projects such as smart farm education and emoticon creator training.

Lee Jin-soon, Director of the Smart City Division, said, “I hope this living lab project will be the cornerstone for creating smart city policies that residents want,” adding, “We will work hard to develop it into a ‘life-type smart city policy’ by thinking about local problems together with residents and experts.”

Yangcheon-gu announced that it has completed the establishment of the Mokdong Senior Smart Education Center and is operating various programs to break down the smart and digital barriers for the elderly generation.

The Mokdong Senior Smart Education Center (hereinafter ‘Center’), opened in May on the 2nd floor of the Mokdong Kkaebi Market Customer Parking & Sharing Center, was created to support smart leisure and cultural life for the elderly and to cultivate digital capabilities. The total area is 496.65㎡, and the main facilities include ▲AI experience education room ▲smart education room ▲VR virtual experience hall ▲multimedia studio ▲Well-being Kkaebi Hall (multipurpose education space).

The center is available to Yangcheon-gu residents aged 55 and older. The district operates pilot programs free of charge until June, including kiosk, basic smartphone, and life app utilization.

Permanent experience programs are also being operated with great popularity. Residents can experience diverse digital cultures such as metaverse VR experience, a core technology of the 4th industrial era, RealCube immersive media games, cognitive enhancement games with AI robots, and one-person broadcasting. Reservations can be made through the integrated reservation portal on the Yangcheon-gu Office website or by visiting or calling the center, available for groups (weekdays) or families (weekends, including elderly).

For detailed information about program enrollment, contact the Mokdong Senior Smart Education Center.

An official from the Elderly Welfare Division said, “Yangcheon-gu operates various programs through the Mokdong Senior Smart Education Center so that anyone in the digitally marginalized group can enjoy smart convenience in daily life,” adding, “If digital culture feels difficult or intimidating, please do not hesitate to visit the center anytime to regain confidence.”