KEPCO Prevents Solitary Deaths of Single-Person Households Using 'Electricity Big Data'

Providing 'Solo Household Care Service' in Jeju City in Partnership with SK Telecom

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Haeyoung] Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) is partnering with SK Telecom to provide a welfare check service for single-person households in Jeju City.

On the 25th, KEPCO signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Jeju City and SK Telecom at Jeju City Hall to provide a "big data-based social safety net service." This MOU was established to offer welfare check services to Jeju citizens by collaborating to prevent solitary deaths among single-person households in Jeju City.

This service analyzes electricity usage patterns using artificial intelligence (AI) and integrates communication data to notify local government welfare officials of any unusual signs regarding the well-being of single-person households. For example, if electricity consumption suddenly drops significantly and there are no phone calls or text messages sent, it predicts a possible emergency and enables prompt action.

Through this MOU, KEPCO and SK Telecom will collect electricity and communication data and build a website. Jeju City will recruit service beneficiaries and secure consent forms for personal information.

KEPCO began providing welfare check services for single-person households starting with a pilot project in Usan-dong, Gwangju in 2019, and currently offers the service in Seogwipo City and Jeongwangbon-dong, Siheung City. This MOU will expand the service throughout Jeju Province.

Kim Taeyong, Head of KEPCO's Digital Transformation Division, stated, "We hope this service will help eliminate welfare blind spots for vulnerable single-person households throughout Jeju Province, including Jeju City. We will continue to strive to provide nationwide social safety net services by discovering various public services utilizing digital new technologies such as electricity big data, AI, and the Internet of Things (IoT)."

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