Why Did Seongdong-gu Smart Shelter Surpass 130,000 Visitors in January?

Smart Shelters See Increased Use Amid COVID-19 and Cold Wave, Record 130,000 Users on January 1... Residents Praise Inclusive Services with Advanced Multi-Recognition Thermal Cameras and Smart Technologies

Since last year, the Seongdong-style smart shelter has been protecting users from COVID-19 infection as well as heatwaves and cold waves. It safely protects public transportation users from COVID-19, keeping them cool in summer and warm in winter.

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Seongdong-gu (Mayor Jung Won-oh) announced that the number of users of the cutting-edge IoT (Internet of Things) bus stop, the ‘Seongdong-type Smart Shelter,’ reached 132,329 in January, breaking the monthly record since the introduction of the smart shelter.

This means that more than 30,000 people visited the smart shelter every week throughout January. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic lasting over a year, the high number of users is a meaningful achievement as the shelter provides a safe environment from infectious diseases.

First introduced in August last year during the summer, the Seongdong-type Smart Shelter attracted global attention as a futuristic bus stop. Equipped with COVID-19 countermeasures such as a thermal imaging camera linked to the entrance and a UV air sterilizer, it was widely featured by prominent domestic and international media as an excellent example of K-quarantine. At that time, it received favorable reviews for providing a cool and comfortable resting place for residents exhausted by COVID-19 and the heatwave.

Now, with the arrival of this winter, the Seongdong-type Smart Shelter is once again receiving enthusiastic responses from residents. Due to difficulties in operating the existing tent-type enclosed cold wind shelters at bus stops during winter, the demand from residents who had no choice but to wait for buses in the cold has exploded.

Especially during the first week of January, known as the ‘Arctic Cold Wave’ period (January 4?10), the number of smart shelter users exceeded 36,000, and with subsequent heavy snow and cold waves, the monthly user record was set.

The district’s winter preparations were also thorough. Inside the shelter, a state-of-the-art multi-recognition thermal imaging camera capable of detecting up to 15 people simultaneously for fever and mask-wearing status was installed to strengthen quarantine measures with real-time alerts.

Additionally, reflecting feedback from smart shelter users, the shelter’s internal and external materials were changed from steel to wood to create a comfortable atmosphere, improve insulation performance, and additional seats were installed to enhance convenience.

Mr. Kim (74, resident of Wangsimni 2-dong), whom we met at the shelter in front of Seongdong-gu Office, said, “These days, all the chairs were removed because of COVID-19, so there was nowhere to sit and rest,” adding, “The smart shelter is warm and comfortable, so it’s very convenient to take a short break.”

Jung Won-oh, Mayor of Seongdong-gu, said, “The Seongdong-type Smart Shelter has become an essential facility for protecting and providing convenience to residents in the post-COVID era,” and added, “Encouraged by the enthusiastic response from residents, we installed 11 additional shelters last year, bringing the total to 21 in operation. This year, we will continue to operate the Seongdong-type Smart Shelter effectively and expand it continuously.”

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