The Korea Times
amn_close.png
amn_bl.png
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
amn_bl.png
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
  • World Expo 2030
amn_bl.png
Finance
  • Companies
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Cryptocurrency
amn_bl.png
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
  • Letter to the Editor
amn_bl.png
Lifestyle
  • Travel & Food
  • Trends
  • People & Events
  • Books
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
amn_bl.png
Entertainment & Arts
  • K-pop
  • Films
  • Shows & Dramas
  • Music
  • Theater & Others
amn_bl.png
Sports
  • Hangzhou Asian Games
amn_bl.png
World
  • SCMP
  • Asia
amn_bl.png
Video
  • Korean Storytellers
  • POPKORN
  • Culture
  • People
  • News
amn_bl.png
Photos
  • Photo News
  • Darkroom
amn_NK.png amn_DR.png amn_LK.png amn_LE.png
  • bt_fb_on_2022.svgbt_fb_over_2022.svg
  • bt_twitter_on_2022.svgbt_twitter_over_2022.svg
  • bt_youtube_on_2022.svgbt_youtube_over_2022.svg
  • bt_instagram_on_2022.svgbt_instagram_over_2022.svg
The Korea Times
amn_close.png
amn_bl.png
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
amn_bl.png
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
  • World Expo 2030
amn_bl.png
Finance
  • Companies
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Cryptocurrency
amn_bl.png
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
  • Letter to the Editor
amn_bl.png
Lifestyle
  • Travel & Food
  • Trends
  • People & Events
  • Books
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
amn_bl.png
Entertainment & Arts
  • K-pop
  • Films
  • Shows & Dramas
  • Music
  • Theater & Others
amn_bl.png
Sports
  • Hangzhou Asian Games
amn_bl.png
World
  • SCMP
  • Asia
amn_bl.png
Video
  • Korean Storytellers
  • POPKORN
  • Culture
  • People
  • News
amn_bl.png
Photos
  • Photo News
  • Darkroom
amn_NK.png amn_DR.png amn_LK.png amn_LE.png
  • bt_fb_on_2022.svgbt_fb_over_2022.svg
  • bt_twitter_on_2022.svgbt_twitter_over_2022.svg
  • bt_youtube_on_2022.svgbt_youtube_over_2022.svg
  • bt_instagram_on_2022.svgbt_instagram_over_2022.svg
  • Login
  • Register
  • Login
  • Register
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • all menu
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Photos
  • Video
  • World
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment & Art
  • Lifestyle
  • Finance
  • Business
  • National
  • North Korea
  • 1

    Scientists find green way to turn CO2 into fuel with sunlight

  • 3

    BLACKPINK's contract renewal still in limbo

  • 5

    Kim Jong-un's rejection of Russia's food assistance irritates North Korean defectors

  • 7

    Family of 5 found dead in 3 separate locations

  • 9

    INTERVIEWVirtual K-pop group MAVE: is more than just pretty pixels

  • 11

    Foreign employees rewarded for contribution to Korea's shipbuilding industry

  • 13

    Lawmakers want to grill business tycoons over decision to rejoin FKI

  • 15

    Arrest warrant hearing for DPK leader Lee to be held Tuesday

  • 17

    Appellate court upholds 9-yr prison term for man over filming, distributing sexual videos featuring women

  • 19

    Yoon signs off on plan to waive expressway tolls during Chuseok holiday

  • 2

    N. Korea holds politburo meeting to discuss Kim-Putin summit: KCNA

  • 4

    BTS member Suga begins mandatory military service

  • 6

    Xi says he will seriously consider visit to South Korea: official

  • 8

    Opposition party in turmoil as leader could be arrested on Tuesday

  • 10

    Korea boosts subsidies to rev up falling EV sales

  • 12

    Russia lodges protest to S.Korean envoy over Yoon's UN speech

  • 14

    Disney+ aims to expand investment in original Korean content

  • 16

    Hebrew University students travel to Korea to explore musical landscape

  • 18

    Korea hammers Thailand to clinch men's football knockout berth

  • 20

    Gov't reviews changing description of Fukushima wastewater

Close scrollclosebutton

Close for 24 hours

Open
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • all menu
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Photos
  • Video
  • World
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment & Art
  • Lifestyle
  • Finance
  • Business
  • National
  • North Korea
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
Sun, September 24, 2023 | 13:42
Seoul City uses AI tech to prevent suicide attempts on Han River bridges
Posted : 2021-12-16 13:43
Updated : 2021-12-16 18:14
Bahk Eun-ji
Print PreviewPrint Preview
Font Size UpFont Size Up
Font Size DownFont Size Down
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • kakaolink
  • whatsapp
  • reddit
  • mailto
  • link
Monitors at the integrated surveillance camera control center of the Ttukseom Water Rescue Brigade display footage of bridges across the Han River in Seoul, in this provided photo. Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Government
Monitors at the integrated surveillance camera control center of the Ttukseom Water Rescue Brigade display footage of bridges across the Han River in Seoul, in this provided photo. Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Government

By Bahk Eun-ji

Korea bears the disgrace of having one of the world's highest suicide rates, topping the ranking among OECD member nations with 23.5 out of 100,000 people killing themselves in 2020.

The central and local governments have taken various suicide prevention measures, and the Seoul Metropolitan Fire and Disaster Headquarters has recently come up with a system using artificial intelligence (AI) technology along Han River bridges, where about 500 suicide attempts are made every year.

The AI-based technology, developed in cooperation with the Seoul Institute of Technology (SIT) since April 2020, has undergone deep learning of patterns of behavior of people attempting suicide by jumping off the bridges, such as wandering on an area of a bridge for a period of minutes, as well as other data, including information on rescue teams' dispatch history, surveillance camera recordings and conversations through suicide hotlines.

When the cameras detect a person showing such behaviors, the system immediately sends a signal to rescue teams near the bridge so they can arrive at the scene faster to intervene or carry out rescue operations.

"The most important thing in rescuing people who are trying to commit suicide is that they must be stopped before they're in the water. Once that happens, the survival rate drops below 50 percent," an official of the disaster headquarters said.

The official said the system helps rescue team members detect dangerous situations among hundreds of surveillance feeds.

"We monitor 572 CCTV cameras in the control center, so it is not easy for a handful of workers to catch everything. But now the AI system selects footage of a person showing suspicious behavior and sounds an alarm, so that rescue teams can respond much faster," he said.

Monitors at the integrated surveillance camera control center of the Ttukseom Water Rescue Brigade display footage of bridges across the Han River in Seoul, in this provided photo. Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Government
Ttukseon Water Rescue Brigade / Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Government

There are 28 bridges crossing the Han River. Before the AI system, there have been other efforts to prevent suicides from the bridges, such as safety fences equipped with laser detection sensors.

In particular, the safety fence installed on Mapo Bridge senses if a person is gripping the guardrail and sends a signal to rescue teams. Cameras installed on Seogang Bridge send alarms if they detect a human body under the bridge.

With these various technologies combined, 96.63 percent of people attempting suicide from the bridges have been stopped or rescued over the past five years.

In addition to those existing prevention systems, if the AI detection system is put in use, the rescue rate is expected to be close to 100 percent, the official said.

With the new system, the Ttukseom Water Rescue Brigade will be the integrated control center for Han River bridges for more efficient control. Previously four brigades ― Yeouido, Banpo, Gwangnaru and Ttukseom ― had their own respective monitoring and dispatch systems.

The AI system is undergoing a trial period until the end of this month. "When a little more data is accumulated and this system is well established, it is expected to be significantly helpful in preventing suicide," a city government official said.

"The city government has been looking for a solution as the number of people who commit suicide in the Han River is rising due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic and increasing financial difficulties," he said.

Ko In-seok, head of the SIT, said, "The system is an example of cooperation between the city government and the research institute to minimize human casualties caused by suicide attempts at the bridges of the Han River. We will continue to conduct practical research for the safety of citizens by using data science analysis technology."


Emailejb@koreatimes.co.kr Article ListMore articles by this reporter
 
miguel
Top 10 Stories
1Scientists find green way to turn CO2 into fuel with sunlight Scientists find green way to turn CO2 into fuel with sunlight
2Kim Jong-un's rejection of Russia's food assistance irritates North Korean defectors Kim Jong-un's rejection of Russia's food assistance irritates North Korean defectors
3Opposition party in turmoil as leader could be arrested on Tuesday Opposition party in turmoil as leader could be arrested on Tuesday
4Korea boosts subsidies to rev up falling EV sales Korea boosts subsidies to rev up falling EV sales
5Foreign employees rewarded for contribution to Korea's shipbuilding industry Foreign employees rewarded for contribution to Korea's shipbuilding industry
6Russia lodges protest to S.Korean envoy over Yoon's UN speech Russia lodges protest to S.Korean envoy over Yoon's UN speech
7Lawmakers want to grill business tycoons over decision to rejoin FKI Lawmakers want to grill business tycoons over decision to rejoin FKI
8Gov't reviews changing description of Fukushima wastewater Gov't reviews changing description of Fukushima wastewater
9'Songpyeon' for low-income families 'Songpyeon' for low-income families
10Big insurers up for sale, but financial conglomerates appear disinterestedBig insurers up for sale, but financial conglomerates appear disinterested
Top 5 Entertainment News
1BLACKPINK's contract renewal still in limbo BLACKPINK's contract renewal still in limbo
2[INTERVIEW] Virtual K-pop group MAVE: is more than just pretty pixels INTERVIEWVirtual K-pop group MAVE: is more than just pretty pixels
3Hebrew University students travel to Korea to explore musical landscape Hebrew University students travel to Korea to explore musical landscape
4[INTERVIEW] Seoul's increased art market momentum brings Sotheby's back to Korea INTERVIEWSeoul's increased art market momentum brings Sotheby's back to Korea
5[INTERVIEW] 'Cobweb' director questions meaning of cinema INTERVIEW'Cobweb' director questions meaning of cinema
DARKROOM
  • Turkey-Syria earthquake

    Turkey-Syria earthquake

  • Nepal plane crash

    Nepal plane crash

  • Brazil capital uprising

    Brazil capital uprising

  • Happy New Year 2023

    Happy New Year 2023

  • World Cup 2022 Final - Argentina vs France

    World Cup 2022 Final - Argentina vs France

CEO & Publisher : Oh Young-jin
Digital News Email : webmaster@koreatimes.co.kr
Tel : 02-724-2114
Online newspaper registration No : 서울,아52844
Date of registration : 2020.02.05
Masthead : The Korea Times
Copyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.
  • About Us
  • Introduction
  • History
  • Contact Us
  • Products & Services
  • Subscribe
  • E-paper
  • RSS Service
  • Content Sales
  • Site Map
  • Policy
  • Code of Ethics
  • Ombudsman
  • Privacy Statement
  • Terms of Service
  • Copyright Policy
  • Family Site
  • Hankook Ilbo
  • Dongwha Group