Seoul City to Strengthen 'Citizen Safe Return Home Support' Using IT Technology... Complete Overhaul in 5 Years

Safe Return Taxi Service, Electronic Ankle Bracelet Damage Emergency Alerts, Safe Return Scout Real-Time Reservations
Safe Delivery Also Adjusts Parcel Locker Locations Around University Areas and Subway Stations for Convenience

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] Seoul’s representative safe return home service app, ‘Ansim-i App,’ is planning a complete overhaul five years after its launch.

On the 16th, Seoul City announced that it conducted a survey of 2,206 citizens regarding the Ansim-i App and actively reflected citizens’ demands by adding new services to create a safer return home environment. The survey results showed an overall satisfaction rate of 76.5%, while the necessity of the service was high at 90.5%.

The Ansim-i App currently has 106,448 members and 174,774 downloads. In June 2019, a citizen using the Ansim-i App reported a sexual offender who was apprehended on-site within 10 minutes. Additionally, with the increase in non-face-to-face services due to COVID-19, demand for the service is rising.

Utilizing the latest IT technology to enhance citizen safety, the upcoming overhaul includes the introduction of a safe return home taxi service, an emergency alarm service, expanded emergency reporting methods, and real-time reservations for the safe return home scout service.

The safe return home taxi service is designed so that users do not need to input information separately; taxi boarding and alighting times and taxi information are automatically sent to the integrated control centers of 25 autonomous districts. When used, the received boarding and alighting information and taxi details are monitored in real-time by dedicated controllers at the district CCTV control centers, who notify designated guardians of the boarding and alighting information. In a prior survey conducted to improve the Ansim-i App’s functions, 86.4% of respondents said the ‘safe return home taxi service would be useful.’

The emergency alarm service provides incident information via emergency messages to Ansim-i App users within a certain radius when related incidents such as electronic ankle bracelet tampering occur. Previously, users who felt threatened and made emergency reports could do so by screen touch or shaking their phones; now, they can use volume and power buttons to notify various emergency situations and request help.

The Ansim-i App’s safe return home scout application reservation system will also be improved to allow real-time reservations. Previously, reservations were only possible at specific times. With real-time reservations, service status can be communicated to applicants as if using platform taxis, minimizing inconvenience from application to use.

In addition, the main screen of the Ansim-i App will be revamped to make it easier for citizens to use, and multifaceted promotional activities will be pursued. Promotions will include KakaoTalk banner ads and download inducements via SNS, as well as video upload advertisements on various promotional media operated by Seoul City.

Meanwhile, Seoul City plans to increase usage rates by relocating 261 safe delivery lockers, installed for single-person households, from low-use locations to places with high foot traffic and visibility such as university areas and subway stations, reflecting citizen demands.

Kim Seon-soon, Director of the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s Women and Family Policy Office, said, “We will create an environment where all Seoul citizens can live safely by reflecting the improvements requested by citizens,” and added, “We will also actively promote safe projects so that more citizens can use them.”

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