The new security system to be deployed at SNU is run by S1, the security affiliate of South Korea’s biggest conglomerate, Samsung. (Image: jgmarcelino from Flickr)
SEOUL, April 10 (Korea Bizwire) – Security guards at Seoul National University are quickly losing ground to the advance of Information and Communications Technology (ICT), as new unmanned security systems are being deployed at its Gwanak campus, a move that some fear will result in job losses for current employees.
As night security guards are being replaced with cameras and lighting incorporating sensors with a high level of sensitivity, the impact of the fourth industrial revolution, which industry experts have been warning about, is now being felt on the campus of one of South Korea’s top universities.
Seoul National University introduced a comprehensive security system at 25 buildings this month at its Gwanak campus, including the College of Humanities, College of Education, and College of Natural Sciences, university officials announced yesterday.
The new security system to be deployed at SNU is run by S1, the security affiliate of South Korea’s biggest conglomerate, Samsung.
The comprehensive security system is set to replace security workers with CCTV cameras and sensors with a control center from which staff will be dispatched when necessary.
Twenty security guards who were previously working at the Gwanak campus will be relocated elsewhere, with no plans to hire additional employees.
Though the university has yet to make a decision on the expansion of the newly-deployed security system to other parts of the campus, the condition that a new security system must cover the whole campus, one of the stipulations in the bidding process, implies that fewer security job openings are expected.
It’s becoming a common sight particularly in security jobs to see advanced technology such as automation and AI take away jobs in a field that was traditionally staffed by people.
As night security guards are being replaced with cameras and lighting incorporating sensors with a high level of sensitivity, the impact of the fourth industrial revolution, which industry experts have been warning about, is now being felt on the campus of one of South Korea’s top universities. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
Lee Byeong-tae, a professor of information systems at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), said, “It’s normal that technological advances bring a shift to the job market.”
“If we were too worried about the job prospects of horsemen, we would have never been able to develop the automobile industry.”
Sungkonghoe University professor Ha Jong-gang disagreed, saying, “The new jobs to come out of the ICT industry don’t distribute wealth effectively.
Packed with cutting-edge technology such as big data and AI, the fourth industrial revolution has been feared to hinder employment prospects in various industries. According to the 2016 report “The Future of Jobs” by the World Economic Forum, more than five million jobs will be lost to robots by 2020.
Hyunsu Yim (hyunsu@koreabizwire.com)
