A smart city that contributes to the safety and welfare of citizens by utilizing cutting-edge technologies such as AI and IoT, including an AI-based integrated control system and robot rehabilitation, is newly certified, and it is expected that smart technologies that increase the convenience of citizens' lives will spread in the future.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (Minister Park Sang-woo) has newly certified four places, including Goyang City (metropolitan city), Dongdaemun-gu in Seoul, Sejong City, and Uijeongbu City (medium-sized cities), as smart cities in 2024.

In addition, the Smart Bicycle Guardian solution (Seogyeong Industry, Transportation sector) was newly certified as a smart city service in 2024.

Smart City Certification is a project that started in 2021 to diagnose the smart capabilities of local governments and discover best practices.

The evaluation criteria are categorized into large/medium cities (based on a population of 500,000), and certification is granted to cities that receive an evaluation score of 70% or more (1,400 points or more out of 2,000 points) of the total score in 53 detailed evaluation indicators.

Looking at the main contents of the newly certified smart cities this year, Goyang City received high scores in terms of technological convergence by building an integrated video control system based on artificial intelligence (AI) that detects abnormal situations in real time and enables rapid responses by linking with the geographic information system.
<br /> Dongdaemun-gu has received high evaluations in terms of citizen safety and welfare by operating a robot rehabilitation project for the disabled, the first of its kind in the country, and a smart traffic safety system for the traffic safety of children and pedestrians.

In addition, Sejong Special Self-Governing City received excellent evaluations in terms of citizen convenience by operating the Sejong City App, which allows users to use Sejong Voting, Living Lab, citizen ID, event reservations, etc. in one place, and the Sejong Life Portal (Sejong N), a location-based app that analyzes and processes 86 types of city data to provide information to citizens.

Uijeongbu City is characterized by a bus stop safety system that utilizes deep learning technology combined with CCTV at bus stops and a safe pedestrian environment based on Internet of Things (IoT) sensors at pedestrian risk points.

Meanwhile, the certification re-review period (2 years) for cities certified in 2022 has arrived, and as a result of the review of whether to continue, all 7 cities that applied have been approved for certification extension.

The metropolitan cities of △Gimhae-si, Gyeongnam, and △Incheon-si, and the medium and small cities of △Gangneung-si, Gangwon, △Dalseo-gu, Daegu, △Gangdong-gu, Seoul, △Seocho-gu, Seoul, and Osan-si, Gyeonggi-do have had their certification extended.

Smart city service certification was evaluated based on 55 detailed indicators, including improvement in residents' quality of life, contribution to enhancing city competitiveness, network connectivity, and operational and maintainability. Like city certification, certification was granted to services that received an evaluation score of 70% or more of the total score.

The 'Smart Bicycle Guardian Solution' (Seokyeong Industry) selected this time was certified after receiving favorable reviews from residents as a bicycle theft prevention solution through collaboration with the Yangcheon-gu Office, community center, and police station in Seoul.

In addition, as a result of reviewing whether to continue the certification for three services that received certification in 2022, it was decided that all of them would be extended.

MDS Mobility Co., Ltd.'s AIoT shared parking service, Suwon City CorporationThere are three cases, including the smart integrated parking information system of one other company and the smart parking system of Daeheung Information Co., Ltd.

Certified cities and companies that have developed certified city services will be awarded a certificate and a plaque in the name of the Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport so that they can be promoted as excellent smart cities and smart city service companies both domestically and internationally.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport’s Urban Economy Division Director Yoon Young-joong said, “Through the certification system that has been in operation for four years, local governments and businesses are increasingly interested in and understanding smart cities, and we will not spare policy support so that these best practices can spread domestically and internationally.”