South Korea to trial four cutting-edge services in 2017

Invests US$109.6 mn in 24 e-government projects for the year.

South Korea will begin tests of four new kinds of services in healthcare, public safety and property. The services will all use tech and allow citizens and officials to get real-time access to crucial data. In healthcare, seniors living in the remote countryside will be able to monitor and share vital statistics like blood pressure and heart rate through wearable devices. A national search and rescue system on trial will use a real-time mapping system to dispatch first responders and coordinate their work. Another platform will be used to alert officials to dangerous or illegal materials entering and leaving the country through imports and exports. Finally, an online platform will allow residents to check neighbourhood classifieds and share details on upcoming sales and rental. The projects are run jointly by the Ministry of the Interior and the National Information Society Agency. In January, the Ministry announced an investment of KRW 126.3 billion (US$109.6 mn) for 24 e-government projects. Initiatives related to public safety are the priority, with an investment of KRW 44.8 billion (US$38.8 mn). This includes efforts to integrate all emergency helplines into three numbers: 119 for disasters; 112 for crimes; and 110 for civil complaints. Image by Emmanuel DYAN, licensed under CC BY 2.0