Seongdong-gu Prevents Disappearance of People with Developmental Disabilities Using 'Smart Kkalchang' Insoles

District Distributes 'Smart Insoles' with GPS Trackers Embedded in Shoes for 70 People with Developmental Disabilities... Real-Time Location Info Delivered to Smartphones, Preventing Disappearance and Enabling Independent Living Training

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Seongdong-gu (District Mayor Jung Won-oh) is launching the distribution of ‘Smart Insoles,’ shoe insoles embedded with GPS trackers, to prevent disappearances and support independent living training for people with developmental disabilities in the area.

According to statistics from the National Police Agency, the number of missing persons with developmental disabilities is increasing every year, and after going missing, they are defenselessly exposed to various crimes such as sexual offenses or labor exploitation, causing distress to families of people with developmental disabilities.

Additionally, due to communication difficulties, the missing periods tend to be long, and the existing wandering detectors used for prevention are not very helpful for people with developmental disabilities who dislike wearing such devices.

In response, the district is introducing the GPS-enabled insole ‘Smart Insole’ and distributing it to families of people with developmental disabilities. By simply placing this insole inside the shoes they usually wear, the location of the person with developmental disabilities is transmitted in real-time to the guardian’s smartphone, and if they move beyond a designated distance or location, an automatic alert text message is sent to the guardian.

A district official stated, “Wearing the smart shoes enables location tracking in case of disappearance, helping to prevent missing incidents. Above all, the ultimate goal of this distribution project is to enable people with developmental disabilities to engage in community activities such as going to school alone without the help of guardians.”

The district is recruiting participants for the smart shoes program until the 25th. A total of 70 participants will be selected, and after three sessions explaining how to use the device, the insoles will be fully distributed around the end of June.

After distribution, continuous training programs such as self-commuting training and community adaptation training will be operated as part of the independent living project.

Applications can be made through the Seongdong Disabled Family Support Center website (http://www.seongdongdfsc.or.kr).

For inquiries, contact the Seongdong Disabled Family Support Center.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.