"Detecting Single-Person Household Risks Using Power and Communication Big Data"... Seocho-gu to Operate Starting This Month

Implementation of '1-Person Household Welfare Check Service'
Alarm to Control Center When Unusual Patterns Are Detected

An employee of Seocho-gu is transporting a single-person household elderly living alone to the hospital. Provided by Seocho-gu.

Seocho-gu, Seoul (Mayor Jeon Seong-su) announced on the 7th that it has been pilot-operating the "Single-Person Household Check-in Service," which detects crises using big data from electricity and telecommunications, since the 1st of this month.

With the recent increase in socially isolated households due to various social changes such as aging, economic poverty, and network disconnection, the service aims to prevent solitary deaths and social isolation among single-person households through big data and artificial intelligence (AI) analysis.

By analyzing electricity usage, call volume (incoming and outgoing), text message sending, and data usage, if an unusual pattern such as a sudden decrease in usage is detected, an immediate alarm is sent to the Seoul Welfare Foundation, the control center, and a check-in is conducted to prevent crisis situations and solitary deaths.

A major advantage of this project is that thorough check-ins are conducted during nighttime and holidays by utilizing already installed electricity and telecommunications infrastructure without requiring separate app installation or interference with daily life.

The support targets single-person households at risk of social isolation who have Korea Electric Power Corporation’s remote meter (AMI) installed or installable, or customers subscribed to SKT or KT. A total of 300 people will be selected for support. Applications can be made through consultation with the welfare officer at the local community service center, following the procedure for consent to provide personal information.

Meanwhile, Seocho-gu operates an AI-based check-in service and a “Our Neighborhood Care Team” composed of local residents to prevent solitary deaths among socially isolated households and proactively identify households at risk in welfare blind spots. Various welfare services are linked according to crisis situations, including “Seoripul Care SOS,” emergency welfare, basic livelihood security, and private resource connections.

Mayor Jeon Seong-su said, “As the proportion of single-person households increases, we will establish a preventive and continuous care system for socially isolated households to carefully look after neighbors in need.”

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