Seoul City Provides Safe Return Support for Foreign Residents... 'Ansim-i App' Available in English, Chinese, and Japanese

From the 1st of next month, foreign language support... Emergency response with phone interpretation if needed, police dispatch assistance provided

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Seoul city safety app, Ansim-i, which supports the safe return home of Seoul citizens, will start offering services in English, Chinese, and Japanese from the 1st of next month. This will make it easier and more convenient for foreigners, including foreign residents unfamiliar with Hangul and tourists visiting Seoul, to use the app, thereby making their way home safer.

On the 29th, Seoul City announced that it will introduce foreign language services for the Ansim-i app as part of customized crime prevention measures for foreigners who feel uneasy about safety due to the increasing number of foreign residents and the rise in foreign-related crimes this year. As of 2020, the number of foreign residents living in Seoul was 443,262, a 31% increase compared to 2010, and the number of crimes increased by 17%, from 5,052 cases in January to August last year to 5,916 cases during the same period this year.

The ‘Ansim-i’ app is a service jointly operated by Seoul City, autonomous districts (CCTV control centers), and the police to help ensure the safe return home of all Seoul citizens, including single-person households and women. It connects 70,000 CCTVs installed throughout Seoul with the Ansim-i app, allowing CCTV control centers to monitor in real time whether users are safely reaching their destinations, and in case of danger, the police immediately dispatch to the scene through emergency reporting.

When users select their preferred language, the main menus on the app are displayed in that language. When a user requests safe return home through the app, the CCTV operator in the relevant autonomous district monitors the CCTV footage around the applicant, and if necessary, quickly responds through a three-way call with an interpreter.

Meanwhile, to coincide with the launch of the foreign language support service, Seoul City will also hold a new membership quiz event to encourage more citizens to use the Ansim-i app. Kim Seon-soon, Director of the Seoul City Women and Family Policy Office, said, “The Ansim-i app, which protects citizens’ safety on their way home, will start foreign language services to support the safe daily lives of foreign residents living in Seoul who are not yet familiar with Korean. Since this service can be used in all uneasy situations such as late-night returns, stalking, and distress, we hope many citizens will install the Ansim-i app and use it when needed.”

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