Seoul City Expands Installation of 'Smart Plugs' to 2,000 Households for Solitary Death Prevention

Frequent Use of Home Appliances like TV Connected, IoT Detects Power and Light Changes to Send Danger Signals
Local Welfare Planner Immediately Calls or Visits... Customized Actions Including Hospital Transfer and Welfare Service Linkage

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on the 2nd that it will install an additional 2,000 units of the ‘Smart Plug,’ which uses Internet of Things (IoT) technology to detect crisis situations and prevent solitary deaths, this year. This will expand the total number of households with the device to over 4,700, including the 2,709 households currently equipped and operating.

The ‘Smart Plug’ is a device in the form of a power strip that connects to frequently used appliance plugs such as TVs and microwaves. Using IoT technology, it senses power consumption and brightness levels, and if there is no change within a set period (24 to 50 hours), it sends a risk signal to the welfare planner at the local community service center. The welfare planner then immediately checks on the individual via phone or visit and takes emergency measures tailored to the person’s situation. This effectively prevents potentially fatal situations that could lead to solitary deaths.

Since October 2020, Seoul has been running the ‘Smart Plug Support Project’ targeting middle-aged and older single-person households at risk of solitary death, and currently has 2,709 households installed and operating. Over approximately one year and four months, a total of 46,974 signals have been transmitted through the Smart Plug, with 154 cases judged as actual risk situations requiring intervention. Most cases involved poor health due to alcohol addiction or difficulty eating or moving alone due to mobility issues. The city took customized actions such as emergency response through 112 and 119, linkage to Care SOS services, and emergency welfare support (living expenses, medical expenses, housing costs), and continues to provide follow-up management for each individual.

Seoul noted that single-person households who rarely go outside and are socially isolated are difficult for public services or neighbors to detect crisis signs, and even if such signs are noticed, people hesitate to report them due to concerns about privacy invasion. By using the IoT-based ‘Smart Plug,’ it is possible to detect crisis situations early without disturbing the daily life of single-person households, preventing solitary deaths, and enabling tailored linkage to welfare services needed by each individual, allowing for more meticulous management.

To expand by 2,000 households this year, Seoul is surveying demand from 25 autonomous districts until the 9th and will select households for installation and begin support from this month. Each district can submit demand survey opinions on the required number of Smart Plugs to the Seoul Metropolitan Government (Regional Care Welfare Division) by the 9th based on their own investigations of eligible households. The city plans to allocate project funds reflecting the districts’ needs.

The installation priority is given to households identified as at risk of solitary death in the ‘Middle-aged Single-person Household Survey’ conducted at the end of last year. Installations can also be made for households identified independently by the districts. Smart Plugs are distributed only to those at risk of solitary death who consent to installation, and local community service center staff visit the households directly to provide usage guidance and install the devices.

Ahn Hyun-min, head of the Regional Care Welfare Division of Seoul, said, “Through the installation of Smart Plugs that enable continuous monitoring and emergency response for households at risk of solitary death, more meticulous management of socially isolated households will be achieved.” He added, “Seoul will continue to work closely with autonomous districts to thoroughly monitor citizens identified as at risk of solitary death to ensure they do not fall into crisis.”

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