Seocho-gu Selected for Ministry of the Interior and Safety’s ‘Address System Advancement Leading Project’ in Indoor Navigation Implementation... Secures 200 Million KRW in National Funding
Assigns Road Names and Basic Numbers to Underground Shopping Mall at Express Bus Terminal, Installs Location Transmission Devices to Provide Navigation Services
Offers Visitors Convenience in Easily Finding Exits, Stations, and Stores, and Enables Prevention of Safety Accidents Such as Fires
From now on, it is expected that visitors will be able to find their desired destinations faster and more easily within the complex and maze-like underground shopping mall around Gangnam Express Bus Terminal in Banpo-dong.
Seocho-gu (Mayor Jeon Seong-su) is introducing ‘indoor navigation’ in the area around Express Bus Terminal Station and the underground shopping mall, where visitors have experienced confusion due to difficulty in finding their way.
By assigning road names and basic numbers to hundreds of stores respectively, spatial data information is constructed, and navigation is implemented through an app to provide location information, creating a smart administrative service model.
To this end, the district applied in February for the Ministry of the Interior and Safety’s pilot project titled ‘Address Information Advancement and Address-Based Innovation Industry Creation Leading Project’ and was selected on the 26th of last month in the indoor navigation implementation category.
The district proposed the ‘Indoor Navigation Goter Map (tentative name) Implementation Project for Express Bus Terminal Station and Underground Shopping Mall Area.’ It was recognized for its high potential for use by local governments nationwide by providing location information based on smart technology in underground spaces, offering solutions for visitors to easily find their way and prevent safety accidents.
With this selection, Seocho-gu will receive 200 million KRW in national funding and will conduct a demonstration project through a one-year service contract starting next month. It will also receive technical support from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and Seoul City.
The district targeted the Gangnam Express Bus Terminal area, a hub for transportation, tourism, and shopping. This area includes Express Bus Terminal Station (Lines 3, 7, and 9), ranked 4th in average daily boarding and alighting passengers among Seoul subway stations (144,651 people as of 2022), the Seoul Express Bus Terminal, and Central City with department stores, hotels, and cinemas, all connected like a maze with the underground shopping mall (located 200 meters underground on Sinbanpo-ro, Seocho-gu), making it very difficult for visitors to find their desired locations.
Seocho-gu will first conduct a pilot project in the underground shopping mall area of Gangnam Terminal, where shopping stores are concentrated. This area covers 31,556 square meters, divided into five sections, with approximately 620 stores.
The district will assign road names and basic numbers to the internal roads and each store inside the underground mall, which currently has only one road name address, to provide accurate indoor location information through navigation. Additionally, address information facilities such as radio wave transmission devices will be installed throughout the underground mall to implement navigation services.
Accordingly, the plan is to enable visitors to easily find their way using outdoor navigation or maps activated by satellite positioning systems (GPS), which are widely used in the market, along with route guidance and simulated driving systems. For example, if a visitor wants to go to the clothing store ‘OO Fashion’ in the underground mall, they can open the ‘Goter Map (tentative name)’ app created by Seocho-gu on their mobile phone, search for ‘OO Fashion,’ and receive real-time location recognition and route guidance.
As a result, visitors will be able to avoid getting lost and enjoy the convenience of easily finding exits, stations, and stores. It is also expected to prevent safety accidents by enabling quick location and reporting of exits or emergency exits in case of disasters or emergencies such as fires.
In addition, the district plans to install kiosks at entrances to the underground mall at the Express Bus Terminal to provide easy information on store locations, event schedules, and nearby safety facilities.
Moreover, maps created using the assigned road names and basic numbers for underground stores will be provided to fire and police stations to assist in preventing safety accidents such as fires.
Based on the results of this pilot project, Seocho-gu expects to establish standardized criteria for indoor spatial information construction and expand it nationwide. The plan is to eventually extend the project to the entire Gangnam Express Bus Terminal area.
Jeon Seong-su, Mayor of Seocho-gu, stated, "We expect this project to improve the convenience and safety of visitors in the congested Express Bus Terminal area," adding, "We will continue to expand life-centered smart administrative services and do our best to improve the daily inconveniences of residents."
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