Full Introduction of 'Contactless Gates' in Seoul Subway... Full-Scale Preparation for the 'Post-Corona' Era

26 Seoul Metropolitan Public Institutions' 'Post-Corona Innovation Public Report'
6.116 Trillion KRW Invested in 128 Projects on Quarantine, 4th Industrial Technology, Non-Face-to-Face, Economy, and Care by 2022

Seoul City Hall

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] A 'contactless gate' system, similar to the highway Hi-Pass method where passengers do not need to tap their transportation cards, will be introduced throughout the Seoul subway network. The Seoul Metropolitan Government has established a permanent quarantine system in preparation for the further spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) and presented an innovation standard model for public institutions by expanding 'non-face-to-face services' starting from the public sector.

On the 2nd, Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon held an online 'Post-COVID Innovation Public Report Meeting' and announced that 26 public institutions under the city, including Seoul Transportation Corporation, will implement a total of 128 projects under five major visions, investing a total of 611.6 billion KRW by 2022.

These projects were developed and discovered independently by public institutions responsible for public services closely related to citizens' daily lives, such as public transportation, care services, and public healthcare. In particular, they focus on expanding non-face-to-face services by integrating 4th Industrial Revolution technologies into administration and recovering the economy and care sectors hit by COVID-19.

A notable project is the introduction of a '100% contactless (Tagless) gate' system, where fares are automatically charged just by passing through the gate without tapping a transportation card, to be implemented at all stations on Seoul Subway Lines 1 through 8 by 2023.

The Seoul Credit Guarantee Foundation will pilot a 'non-face-to-face credit guarantee' service starting next month, allowing submission of related documents via a smartphone app for one-stop credit guarantees and bank loans. The Seoul Business Agency will also newly establish a 50 billion KRW 'Startup Policy Fund' to support startups in promising post-COVID fields such as medical and non-face-to-face sectors.

To enhance infectious disease response capabilities, municipal hospitals will be designated as control towers for each region, and 300 new 'infection contact tracers' will be trained to assist epidemiologists in tracking confirmed patients' movement paths.

To build resilience against recessions affecting small business owners and social changes, 'lifecycle support' will be initiated. Support will also be provided to help small and medium enterprises enter overseas famous online platforms like Amazon in the United States, while continuing tailored job and startup support for women, middle-aged, and young people.

Mayor Park said, "Public services directly connected to citizens' daily lives are the areas where innovation is most urgently needed to prepare for the post-COVID era," adding, "Just as Seoul's quarantine measures have become a global standard, the 26 public institutions of Seoul will accelerate innovation with the goal of creating a standard model for public institutions in the post-COVID era."

On the 13th, in front of the ticket gate at Sindorim Station in Guro-gu, Seoul, an official from Seoul Metro headquarters stopped a passenger not wearing a mask and guided them to where masks could be purchased. Starting from this day, the Seoul Metropolitan Government will restrict boarding for passengers not wearing masks when subway congestion reaches the "congestion stage." For passengers who do not have masks, dental masks can be purchased at market prices from vending machines (448 locations), integrated sales points (118 locations), and convenience stores (157 locations) throughout all stations. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

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