Gwangju City Accelerates Implementation of Big Data-Based Policies

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Seon-gang] Gwangju Metropolitan City is accelerating the implementation of policies based on big data throughout city administration to provide administrative services that citizens need through objective and scientific administration.

By accumulating and analyzing high-quality data for each public sector, the city predicts accurate administrative demands, enhances policy accuracy, minimizes administrative inefficiencies, and establishes and operates a citizen-oriented big data system.

To this end, last month the city launched the Gwangju Big Data Integrated Platform, establishing a data-driven administrative system and providing analytical information focusing on resident life, regional safety, transportation, and tourism sectors.

The analyzed data is provided visually, including map images and graphs, by receiving structured data from related organizations such as the Transportation Management Corporation and analyzing it diversely by time and age group.

Transportation usage analyzes floating population and boarding/alighting rates over the past two years at bus stops and subway stations, while population and tourism sectors are analyzed based on call volume data from telecommunications companies. Through this, the city utilizes diverse data collection and in-depth analysis on issues closely related to citizens’ lives and major city administration agendas, such as expected demand for public transportation related to the expansion of Urban Railway Line 2 and demand forecasting for welfare facilities, to make accurate policy decisions and promote projects.

Data by sector is collected according to policy priorities, and more diverse analytical information will be provided through linkage with systems and data operated by national, local governments, and public institutions.

The accumulated public big data is not only used by administrative agencies but also opened to citizens to increase trust in city administration and usability in the private sector. The city plans to widely open data needed by citizens and connect creative ideas to startups through consulting by holding startup idea contests based on public data.

This year, to lead a public service system utilizing in-depth big data analysis and artificial intelligence technology, the city will actively participate in central government big data pilot project competitions such as the Ministry of Science and ICT’s Data Flagship Project and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety’s Public Big Data Standard Analysis Model Project.

Additionally, the city plans to restructure the big data platform, sequentially connecting sectoral systems and data to the platform starting with areas greatly beneficial to citizens such as transportation and air environment, accumulating public data across city administration, and activating the big data platform to function as a ‘window of city administration.’

Lee Seung-gyu, the city’s Smart City Officer, said, “Big data is the foundation of the 4th Industrial Revolution and plays a role like fuel in promoting the Gwangju-type AI New Deal. In preparation for the post-COVID-19 era, we will abundantly secure high-quality big data and establish a scientific analysis system to provide AI-based customized administrative services for citizens and carry out smart administration toward Gwangju as a global leading city.”

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