Employees' Ideas Lead to Major Policies in Seongdong-gu

Seongdong-gu Launches 7th Seongdong Appropriate Technology Research Group
Composed of 31 Seongdong District Office Employees, Generating Various Ideas to Improve Residents' Daily Convenience
Leading Policies by Integrating Appropriate Technology and Administration, Including the Nation's First Crime Prevention System on New Paths

Appropriate Technology Research Association Performance Sharing Meeting

Seongdong-gu, Seoul (Mayor Jung Won-oh) has launched the 7th Seongdong Appropriate Technology Research Group, which studies appropriate technology to realize a smart inclusive city.

The 'Seongdong Appropriate Technology Research Group' is an academic club composed of Seongdong-gu office employees, first formed in 2019, that researches appropriate technology to solve various social problems with optimal technology and minimal cost. This year, a total of 31 members, including new recruits, will focus on discovering appropriate technologies based on organizational system improvements and creative ideas. The ultimate goal is to integrate the discovered appropriate technologies into administration and policy-making.

The group will focus on researching excellent foreign cases, proposing ideas, discovering appropriate technologies, and integrating them with administration. Activities are divided into five subcommittees: smart technology, energy & welfare, safety, environment, and society & education. Each subcommittee elects its own leader and operates with increased autonomy by allowing free expression of opinions in an online group chat. Members are also provided opportunities to participate in smart city expos and forums to develop their capabilities as core talents. Expert-invited training sessions are conducted to enhance professional knowledge and understanding of related fields.

Before full-scale activities begin, an orientation will be held on March 5 to allow new members to introduce themselves and share their commitment to the research group. A special lecture to strengthen members’ capabilities will also be held. The lecture, titled “Understanding AI and Service Design, AI as a Service Developer,” will be given by Professor Ryu Ho-kyung of Hanyang University. A Q&A session will be provided to address questions related to the field.

Meanwhile, the Seongdong Appropriate Technology Research Group annually discovers various ideas and turns them into policies as major projects of Seongdong-gu.

A representative project is the crime prevention system for walking trails. In response to a series of abnormal motive crimes, the research group considered measures for crime prevention and response, leading to the introduction of the nation’s first walking trail crime prevention system in August 2023. By scanning a QR code installed at park entrances, a smartphone transforms into a mobile security camera, linked to Seongdong-gu Office’s Smart City Integrated Operation Center, enabling real-time response to dangerous situations. The system is user-friendly and highly effective in crime prevention, with 91% of users satisfied according to survey results. It is currently expanded throughout Seongdong-gu, installed at 220 locations.

Since October last year, the civil service guidance robot 'Seongdong-i' has been enhanced with members’ ideas. In addition to existing services, it now features 27-inch front and rear screens for district promotion broadcasting, escort functions to destinations, and book search and loan reservation services. It also introduces Seongdong-gu attractions such as Seoul Forest and Majang-dong Livestock Market, and supports interpretation in nine languages including English, Japanese, and Chinese, allowing foreign visitors to conveniently receive civil service guidance.

Additionally, members’ ideas are embedded in projects such as the Seongdong-type mobile e-government, the civil complaint waiting status notification service, Seongdong-type smart rest areas, Seongdong-type smart crosswalks, Seongdong-type smart rainwater inlets, and IoT smart paper pack collection bins, all first introduced by Seongdong-gu.

Jung Won-oh, Mayor of Seongdong-gu, said, “The Seongdong-type appropriate technology projects are the result of considering ways for residents to live safe and convenient daily lives,” adding, “The research achievements of employees with practical experience will play a significant role in improving inconveniences in daily life and realizing Seongdong as a smart inclusive city where all residents enjoy convenience.”

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