Seoul City to Add 190 'Smart Poles' Combining Streetlights, Traffic Signals, and CCTV Within This Year

Based on the institutionalization of the standard model and construction operation guidelines, by the end of this year, installation of an improved standard model equipped with CCTV considering site characteristics will be promoted at Hangang Park for four autonomous districts including Guro-gu, Dongjak-gu, Gangdong-gu, and Jongno-gu.

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Seoul Metropolitan Government is set to actively expand the installation of “Smart Poles,” an intelligent urban infrastructure that integrates streetlights, traffic lights, and other road facilities with ICT technologies such as intelligent CCTV, public Wi-Fi, and IoT sensors, throughout the city. Seoul plans to complete the installation of 190 additional Smart Poles in four autonomous districts by the end of this year.

On the 19th, Seoul announced that following the pilot installation of 26 Smart Poles in six major locations frequently visited by citizens?including Seoul Plaza, Sungnyemun, and the Cheonggyecheon Stream area?in February, and based on the results of deriving construction operation guidelines and 10 standard models, it will install 190 Smart Poles in four autonomous districts: Guro-gu, Dongjak-gu, Gangdong-gu, and Jongno-gu.

Guro-gu and Dongjak-gu were selected as autonomous districts through the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport’s '2021 Smart City Solution Expansion Project' and will receive national funding. Some city and district funds will also be invested. A total of 70 poles will be installed in Guro-gu. Smart poles with streetlights will be installed on main roads and intersections to enhance citizen safety and convenience. CCTV smart poles will be installed in alleyways such as Guro 2-dong and Gaebong 1-dong to provide alleyway safety services. In Dongjak-gu, along Sangdo-ro and Sadang-ro, 40 Smart Poles combining CCTV, public Wi-Fi, and S-DoT will be installed along with smart crosswalks. Safety zones will be created to improve urban aesthetics and prevent traffic accidents.

Gangdong-gu and Jongno-gu are districts promoting road maintenance projects to replace aging urban infrastructure, making them ideal for cost reduction and increased effectiveness through Smart Pole installation. A total of 2 billion KRW, fully funded by the city, will be invested with 1 billion KRW allocated to each district. In Gangdong-gu, 40 Smart Poles equipped with various smart functions will replace old road facilities along Gucheonmyeon-ro and Seongan-ro, enhancing the effect of the “Walkable Street” project promoted by Gangdong-gu. In Jongno-gu’s Bukchon area, 40 Smart Poles will be installed featuring CCTV, public Wi-Fi, smart parking functions, and works by young designers. This will create pedestrian-friendly streets offering diverse citizen experience services.

Once the additional 190 Smart Poles are completed, Seoul plans to offer them as a “Street Lab” for private companies to demonstrate new technologies and products. Given their installation in various road environments such as roads, alleys, and walking paths, they are expected to be utilized in multiple fields including commercial area, traffic, and urban phenomenon analysis and improvement.

Seoul is also pushing to install customized Smart Poles equipped with CCTV in Han River parks. An improved standard model will be prepared in the second half of the year, with installation planned by year-end. Considering the location-specific risk of flooding during the summer monsoon season, the goal is to minimize flood damage while enhancing citizen safety.

Additionally, in the second half of the year, a pilot project for “Smart Pole Function Advancement” will be launched to install electric vehicle charging functions and drone stations in response to the increasing demand for eco-friendly vehicles. This is expected to address the shortage of charging stations and lay the foundation for transitioning to an eco-friendly city. The drone stations mounted on top will be examined for potential use in disaster monitoring and life-saving operations using drones.

Lee Won-mok, Director of Smart City Policy at Seoul City, stated, “Seoul’s Smart Poles are core smart city infrastructure that improve urban aesthetics, citizen safety, and convenience while reducing construction costs. Through the institutionalization of Smart Pole standard models and construction operation guidelines, we have established a foundation for expanding standardized Smart Pole installations throughout the city.”

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