The city of Busan announced on November 5 the launch of Finding All, a new citizen-participation platform that combines blockchain and artificial intelligence technologies to streamline the process of locating lost items. (Image courtesy of Busan City)
BUSAN, Nov. 6 (Korea Bizwire) – In a significant upgrade to its municipal services, the city of Busan announced on November 5 the launch of Finding All, a new citizen-participation platform that combines blockchain and artificial intelligence technologies to streamline the process of locating lost items.
The platform emerged from Busan’s Blockchain Specialized Cluster Creation Project, a joint initiative between the city and the Ministry of Science and ICT, with implementation overseen by Busan Techno Park. The project is being executed by a consortium led by Sejong Telecom, with BNK System as a participating partner.
According to National Police Agency statistics, approximately 1 million items are reported lost annually in South Korea, averaging over 3,000 items per day. However, only about 50% of these items are successfully returned to their original owners.
The current system, with lost and found centers scattered across various transportation hubs including subways, buses, and taxis, requires individuals to personally report and visit multiple locations to recover lost items.
This cumbersome process, coupled with complicated reporting procedures for those who find lost items, has resulted in many lost items going unreported.
Finding All aims to address these inefficiencies by utilizing AI technology to analyze images of lost items in real-time, comparing them with reported findings to provide users with the most relevant matches.
The platform employs blockchain technology to prevent fraud and legal disputes while ensuring the integrity of all recorded information.
The mobile and web-based service integrates with the National Police Agency’s comprehensive lost and found management system (Lost112), allowing users to conduct searches through a single application.
The platform supports five languages – Chinese, Japanese, English, Spanish, and Vietnamese – to accommodate foreign visitors to Busan.
To improve recovery rates, the app features push notifications to alert nearby users about lost items and includes functionality for offering rewards to finders.
For businesses such as hotels, shopping malls, and theme parks, Finding All offers an enterprise solution that digitizes the entire lost and found process, from item registration to return.
The development team plans to expand beyond lost items, utilizing the technology to address other social issues such as locating missing pets and people. The service will initially launch in Busan before expanding nationwide.
To celebrate the launch, the city is offering QR code stickers and name tags to the first 1,000 new users who install the app.
“Finding All demonstrates how blockchain technology can add practical value to everyday life,” said Nam Dong-woo, a financial start-up policy officer for the city of Busan.
“This service, which shows how the Fourth Industrial Revolution is becoming part of citizens’ daily lives, will contribute to Busan’s transformation into a global blockchain hub.”
Kevin Lee (kevinlee@koreabizwire.com)
