A senior citizen is at home alone in this file photo. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, April 18 (Korea Bizwire) — The Seoul Metropolitan Government’s welfare foundation said Monday it will launch a “safety check” service on a trial basis for 1,000 households at risk of solitary death in Gwanak District.
As part of the service, the foundation will verify the risk of solitary death in advance for socially isolated individuals by monitoring the number of phone calls they make, their use of Internet of Things (IoT) devices, and the number of steps they take through a mobile app.
In the event of an emergency, the system will automatically make a phone call to check the individual’s safety. If the call is not answered, an alarm message will be sent to officials in charge.
To launch this service, the foundation signed a business agreement with the Gwanak district office and local big data analytics firm Lucis Co. Lucis will be responsible for analyzing the number of phone calls and other activities.
Furthermore, the foundation plans to use a smart plug, a device that can sense risk signals by monitoring changes in the use of electricity and lighting when home electronics such as TVs and microwave ovens are plugged in.
By analyzing the operational state and results of the pilot project, the foundation aims to establish a solitary death prevention system optimized for each household.
J. S. Shin (js_shin@koreabizwire.com)
