United Nations Public Service Awards Case Studies

The u-Seoul Child Safety System is differentiated from other child protection policies as it integrates various children’s safety management services, utilizes information technology and involves a public institution that directly provides a universal safety service. Under the system, the City of Seoul has developed seven customized services, which are divided into three sectors, i.e., routine services (i.e., going to and from school/private teaching institutes), a service for checking the current location of a child, and an emergency service. The City also developed the GPS-based safety service, using the Universal Subscriber Identity Module (USIM) contained in cell phones, or electronic tags for children without a cell phone.

The infrastructure for the prevention of accidents and emergency rescues was set up utilizing location information and video information, in addition to Closed Circuit Televisions (CCTV). Efforts were made not to waste resources through overlapped development by utilizing existing information technology resources, such as the information network, Data Center, and Integrated Security Control Center. Standard service models were designed through thorough technical validation.

- Ever-higher attention to the protection of children -
The u-Seoul Child Safety System was developed to meet the need to foster a safe daily environment for children and to prevent kidnappings and sexual crimes against children. The City has installed CCTVs in and near elementary schools, and other vulnerable areas, in an effort to prevent traffic accidents or school violence. However, recently, one horrible crime after another has been perpetrated against children. Thus, it has become a growing concern amongst the populace that measures be taken to prevent such crimes. Drastic measures needed to be taken.

What is the initiative about? (the solution)
- Service for the protection of children, utilizing existing knowhow and information technology - The u-Seoul Child Safety System has particular significance. Under the leadership of Mayor Oh Se-hoon, the City provided a service that gave satisfaction to the people, utilizing the country’s first-rate information technology and based on the knowhow accumulated in its world-class e-government system. The system was the result of the public-private cooperation model designed to turn the city into a safe place. In April 2008, the Mayor of Seoul announced that he would turn Seoul into a city where children are safe. A month later, the City signed a memorandum of understanding with mobile communications businesses to lower the charges for mobile phone-based GPS services and to improve the accuracy of the service. - Design of an environment safe for children - The City established a database linked to a network of 6,600-plus CCTVs for efficient analysis of accidents by emergency relief institutions, such as the police and the fire department. In 2009, the u-Children Safety Zones were established at Seoul Forest Park and two elementary schools, i.e., Sindorim Elementary and Sinhak Elementary. They were enthusiastically acclaimed by parents. A total of 1,800 people took part in the system in Seoul Forest Park. A total of five missing children were returned to their parents with the help of the system. 800 children of Sindorim Elementary and Sinhak Elementary have been helped by the system. Many parents in other areas have asked for the service to be expanded throughout the City.

Who proposed the solution, who implemented it and who were the stakeholders?
The u-Seoul Child Safety System was launched with Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon’s strong commitment to the inclusion of creativity in city affairs and turning the city into a place where children are safe. The Information Planning Office checked technological matters, along with budgetary concerns, and how best to implement the system with the cooperation of mobile communications businesses, the office of education, the police and the fire department. It was the Safety Committee of the u-Seoul Forum, which was launched in June 2008 that pushed ahead with the u-Seoul Child Safety System with the support from the Mayor. Comprised of 17 members dispatched from businesses, universities and research institutes, the committee served as a think tank for ideas concerning the protection of children. The city also received consultation from the 41-member Children’s Safety Advisor Group. The city required cooperation with other government institutions, including the police, the fire department and the office of education, as well as mobile communications businesses, for the efficient use of CCTVs and location tracking devices. The city also collected useful ideas from local residents in districts where the system would be installed. The u-Seoul Child Safety System was launched after collecting diverse opinions and ideas through an Internet portal: The Safe World for Children (kidsafe.seoul.go.kr) on the City’s homepage. Additionally, feedback from the schools where the u-Children Safety Zones were launched on a test basis was sent here.

Describe how and when the initiative was implemented by answering these questions
a. What were the strategies used to implement the initiative? In no more than 500 words, provide a summary of the main objectives and strategies of the initiative, how they were established and by whom.
- Launch of a body dedicated to the project and preparations for collection of opinions - In April 2008, the plan was set up for the establishment of the u-Seoul Child Safety System by the Ubiquitous City Promotion Division. Organizations and the budget were set up for the establishment and operation of the system and PR activities were carried out. In January 2009, the u-Seoul Integrated Safety System was established, while the u-Seoul Child Safety System was being refined. - Ensuring people that it was a system for their protection - First of all, the city made efforts to ensure people that nothing was farther from its intention than to infringe on their privacy but to establish a highly efficient system that could provide continued service on a long-term basis. Second, the City did what it takes to establish a system that could meet the specific requirements of people, including children, by reflecting the ideas proposed by people as much as possible and utilizing its existing information technological assets. Third, the City made positive efforts to raise the public awareness on the system. The City had the advertising announcement air on the subway trains, set up electronic signboards, and utilized Internet broadcasts and the radio to make more people know about this system.

b. What were the key development and implementation steps and the chronology? No more than 500 words
Since January 2008, the City has reviewed the diverse proposals it received from the Youth Division and the Seoul Emergency Operations Center, while discussing a possible reduction of the charges for the Child Safety Service and improving the accuracy of the cell phone location tracking service with mobile communications businesses. Internally, the City established an integrated database concerning the locations and specifications of the installed CCTVs. In May 2008, the Internet portal The Safe World of Children (kidsafe.seoul.go.kr)" was launched as a communications channel with the public. The Safe World of Children is a place where children can express opinions freely. It also provides information on how to cope with emergencies, such as kidnappings, traffic accidents or fires. The city established a safety zone in Seoul Forest Park, a favorite destination of children, to test the technical feasibility of the system, using electronic tags. Based on the results of the test, the city established the system in areas close to Sindorim Elementary, in Guro-gu, and Sinhak Elementary, in Dobong-gu, particularly on paths frequented by children, in October 2009. At a session held at the elementary schools to explain the results of the test, more than 1,000 parents attended, thus showing the great interest in the project. The city plans to expand the system gradually throughout the city. It is currently standardizing the u-Children Safety Service with the help of the Telecommunications Technology Association (TTA), while integrating all the CCTVs installed, in and near elementary schools, into a network to secure their compatibility and prevent overlapping facility investment.

c. What were the main obstacles encountered? How were they overcome? No more than 500 words
- Difficulties in cooperating with other institutions of the government and with private businesses - It took much time and effort to establish a system of cooperation with the relevant parties, i.e., schools, the police, the fire department, district offices and mobile communications businesses, who had their own opinions and demands. It was particularly difficult to negotiate the plan to embed RFID in the Universal Subscriber Identity Module (USIM) , the first attempt of its kind in the world. The city encouraged the relevant officials to overcome their various difficulties with the sense of mission that the project intended to protect children. It plans to start to deploy standardized service models in 2010, based on the proven technology, in connection with the plan to expand the system throughout the city. - Concerns about infringement of privacy put to rest - The city is carrying out the project under the principle that the use of the information obtained through the system is strictly confined to the protection of children, and the service will only be provided to people that accept this principle. In pursuing the project, Seoul City identified the personal information protection as one of the key objectives. To this end, the City repeatedly explained the details of the project to the participants in the project and kindly responded to questions or inquires regarding privacy protection. Through these efforts, the number of participants has gradually increased.

d. What resources were used for the initiative and what were its key benefits? In no more than 500 words, specify what were the financial, technical and human resources’ costs associated with this initiative. Describe how resources were mobilized
In 2008, private communications businesses improved the accuracy for locating the position of cell phones for emergency rescue purposes and lowered the cost for the system. The operational test of the system at Seoul Forest Park and the two elementary schools required input of considerable financial resources for the establishment of a wireless network, the development of relevant electronic tags, USIM cards and software, and the purchase of hardware, including a location-based service server and CCTV server. The city had the u-Infrastructure Team of the Ubiquitous City Promotion Division take responsibility for the project, including the establishment and operation of the system. The Park Administration Office worked with the team on the test project in Seoul Forest Park. The district offices cooperated with the team for the project concerning Sindorim Elementary and Sinhak Elementary. The team was able to carry out the project efficiently with the help of the Office of Education, the relevant schools, the police and the Seoul Emergency Operations Center.

Is the initiative sustainable and transferable?
The project requires continued input of financial resources for its expansion to cover a greater area and service more people, as well as to operate and maintain the system. Amid the need to reinforce the policies for the protection of children, the city plans to reduce expenses by securing compatibility through the standardization of the system, eliminating factors of overlapping investment and attracting private investment. The city also plans to carry out a campaign to educate people about the necessity of children’s safety and eliminate elements that may threaten their safety in and near schools. The legal basis should also be ascertained to make it possible for the police and the fire department to determine the location of children in an emergency situation. The service must be improved in a manner that reflects people’s opinions. The u-Seoul Child Safety System is an integrated safety system whose technical feasibility has been validated and whose operational procedure has been standardized. As an integrated safety system established systematically and based on mid-term roadmaps and a standardized model that adopts the awarding of merits and supplementing demerits to individual safety systems, such as CCTVs and electronic tags, the system has become a benchmark for other governmental institutions, private businesses and mass media, both in and out of the country. Indeed, similar systems that slightly modified the u-Seoul Child Safety System have been adopted by the Ministry of Public Administration and Security, the National Police Agency, Sejong City, Busan Metropolitan City, Seongnam City, Samsung, LG, United Nations Public Administration Network (UNPAN), TIME magazine, broadcast stations and newspaper companies.

What are the impact of your initiative and the lessons learned?
Although the possibility of privacy infringement was pointed out, the u-Seoul Child Safety System has secured its position as a reliable system thanks to the thorough preparation involved in its planning, and the system designed reflected the requirements of the people. It is thought that the success of the project was attributable to the public consensus on the need for a safety measure for children, the establishment of a system of cooperation between the relevant institutions, and the development of a public service that reflects what people want. Finally, the continued growth of the project requires the leader’s firm and positive commitment to the protection of children.


Institution Name:		Ubiquitous City Promotion Division, Seoul Metropolitan Government
Institution Type:		Government Department
Contact Person:		Sungmo Kang
Title:		Team member
Telephone/ Fax:		82-2-6361-3397
Institution's / Project's Website:		82-2-6361-3440
E-mail:		smkang@seoul.go.kr
Address:		Seoul City Hall 3th, 15, Deoksugung-gil
Postal Code:		100-739
City:		Jung-gu
State/Province:		Seoul Metropolitan City
Country:

The Problem

Solution and Key Benefits

Actors and Stakeholders

(a) Strategies

(b) Implementation

(c) Overcoming Obstacles

(d) Use of Resources

Sustainability and Transferability

Lessons Learned

Contact Information