Seoul City will provide a location tracing service for all primary schoolchildren, who have cell phones so that parents can make sure their children go to and from school safely.
The city government said Sunday that it will expand the program to all schools in the city starting next year from the current seven pilot schools.
The service, provided through children’s cell phones or specially designed electronic tags, sends the child’s location to the parents through text messages regularly when the students enter or leave their home, school, or hagwon.
Parents can also check their children’s location on the Internet.
If a child is near a crime-ridden neighborhood or makes an emergency call using the cell phone or the tag, the situation is reported to the parents.
Parents can ask for help through the emergency operations center, which will then check the child’s location and the police may be asked to retrieve the child.