Daejeon City Focuses on Safety Management for '0si Festival'... Uses AI to Disperse Crowds

Crowd Density Limited to Maximum of 3 People per 1㎡
Shade Shelters, Water Sprinklers, and Mist Tunnels Operated to Counter Heatwave

Lee Jangwoo, mayor of Daejeon, is briefing on the '2024 Daejeon Midnight Festival' on the 5th. / Daejeon Photo by Park Jongmyung

Daejeon City announced that it will focus all efforts on safety management, anticipating large crowds at the "Zero Hour Festival" set to open on the 9th.

The city will manage crowd density to a maximum of three people per square meter, deploying 875 safety personnel per day, including police officers, professional security staff, public officials, and volunteers.

Additionally, team leaders will be designated for each zone?past, present, and future?to strengthen area-specific responsibility. Safety personnel will be permanently stationed in vulnerable areas such as the main stage, Seongsimdang, Jungangno Station, and underground shopping mall connecting sections.

In particular, a 'Smart Selective Surveillance System' utilizing AI technology will be introduced to prevent overcrowding in specific areas. The 141 CCTVs installed at the venue will be monitored in real time to analyze crowd density, and if a risk is detected, on-site staff will disperse the crowd. If density remains high, emergency alert messages will be sent out in stages.

To prepare for the ongoing heatwave, shade canopies will be installed throughout the venue, water-spraying vehicles will operate, and mist tunnels will be activated. In case of rain, the event schedule will be adjusted according to hourly precipitation levels.

Additionally, an emergency passage will be secured so that a 119 ambulance can always move within the venue, and measures have been prepared to respond to various types of safety incidents involving visitors, staff, and vulnerable groups.

As traffic in the Jungangno area will be completely restricted from 5 a.m. on the 7th to 5 a.m. on the 18th, including the event preparation period, efforts will be made to ensure smooth traffic flow and minimize inconvenience to citizens.

Control personnel, including police and the Model Drivers' Association, will be deployed at a rate of 527 per day. The 365 city buses on 29 routes passing through the event section will detour to nearby Daehungno and Bomunro. With Jungangno and Daejongno closed, the bicycle path under Mokcheokgyo Bridge will be operated as a one-way road to allow east-west vehicle movement.

The subway will run until 1 a.m. during the festival, with more than 20 additional trips per day compared to the current schedule. Temporary trains will also be deployed if crowds increase.

The Daejeon Zero Hour Festival, held under the theme "Daejeon That Never Sleeps, Fun That Never Ends," will take place for nine days from the 9th to the 17th along Jungangno, from Daejeon Station to the former Chungnam Provincial Government Office, and in nearby original downtown commercial districts. The festival will run daily from 2 p.m. to midnight.

Mayor Lee Jangwoo said, "The Daejeon Zero Hour Festival aims to boost the city's brand value and revitalize the local economy, with a clear goal of becoming Asia's number one and one of the world's top three festivals within five years. By improving on last year's content and returning with even greater excitement, we expect to attract 2 million visitors and generate 300 billion won in economic impact this year."