[Interview] Owen Seok, Dobong-gu Mayor: "Leading Smart City with 'AI Underpass Safe Passage' Service"

Opening the Cloud Era First in Seoul This February...
Introducing AI Prediction Platform and Expanding Intelligent CCTVs This Year

Dobong-gu is becoming smarter. This transformation began with the launch of the 8th elected administration and the digital administration policy led by Mayor Oh Eon-seok, resulting in innovations across all sectors.

"As urban environments rapidly change due to social structural shifts, the need to solve urban problems using ICBMS technology has emerged. We will apply this technology throughout Dobong-gu to improve residents' quality of life," Mayor Oh stated in an interview.

ICBMS stands for the initials of Internet of Things (IoT), Cloud, Big Data, Mobile, and Security. The district is utilizing ICBMS not only in transportation and safety but across society as a whole.

Last year, Dobong-gu introduced the nation’s first "AI Underpass Safety Passage" service. In the approximately eight months since its implementation, there have been zero accidents in the area, a significant improvement compared to the previous annual average of 6 to 8 accidents.

This service combines LiDAR and AI technology to detect vehicle height in real time, inform whether a vehicle can pass, and provide video footage of the opposite side of the underpass to assist both vehicles and pedestrians. It was introduced at three underpasses near Banghak Station in June of last year.

In February of this year, Dobong-gu surprised many by becoming the first district in Seoul to enter the cloud era. The district transferred all related systems?including hardware and software necessary for operating 26 major websites and web services, including the Dobong-gu official homepage?to the private "G-Cloud" (NHN Cloud).

Transferring large-scale web service resources is unprecedented among Seoul’s autonomous districts. Mayor Oh said, "This cloud transition allows us to operate web services more flexibly. By utilizing the auto-scaling function, we plan to minimize connection delays caused by increased users and provide fast services through expanded network bandwidth." Auto-scaling refers to technology that automatically increases or decreases resources based on server user fluctuations.

Looking ahead, the district plans to more actively adopt and implement ICBMS technology in disaster and safety fields. Mayor Oh stated, "Starting in the second half of this year, we will introduce an AI prediction platform to assist in planning various events. We expect to hold events more safely in the future." The AI prediction platform analyzes and learns from real-time floating population data to predict future incidents or outcomes.

He also emphasized efforts to build a smart safety network. Mayor Oh said, "To prevent crime in the area, we will expand the proportion of intelligent CCTVs and plan to convert all existing CCTVs to intelligent ones. This year, we have allocated a budget of 309 million won to convert 400 existing CCTVs to intelligent models and install 132 new units." He added, "We will also launch new smart projects this year, such as a smart rainwater inlet management system and a smart parking control system in public parking lots."

On March 6, the district promulgated the "Ordinance on the Creation and Operation of a Data-Based Smart City in Dobong-gu, Seoul." The ordinance includes provisions for establishing and promoting smart city policies and activating data-based administration. Following the ordinance, the district plans to establish a basic smart city plan and operate the Dobong-gu Smart City Policy Advisory Committee. Mayor Oh Eon-seok said, "To meet the demands of the new era, we will actively embrace change and utilize Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies to enhance public administration convenience and solve urban problems."