Nine local governments, including Seoul’s Seongdong-gu, have been certified as ‘Smart Cities for 2025’ by the government.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced on the 24th that four major cities – Daegu, Anyang, Bucheon, and Suwon – along with five smaller cities, including Seongdong-gu, Guro-gu, Gangnam-gu, Eunpyeong-gu in Seoul, and Yeosu in South Jeolla Province, will be newly designated as smart cities. To be certified as a smart city, a comprehensive evaluation of infrastructure levels, public capability and innovation, governance, and institutional mechanisms is required, with a score of at least 70% needed.
Among large cities with populations of over 500,000, Daegu received positive evaluations for building an AI-based smart transportation platform and establishing a Daegu Data Safe Zone, emphasizing its efforts in creating a data ecosystem. Anyang was recognized for its innovative services such as an AI tracking system and autonomous buses. Bucheon was acknowledged for its mobile integrated platform and ON-MIND AI welfare call services, focusing on citizen convenience and welfare. Suwon was commended for its intelligent traffic information system and smartphone usage restrictions in school zones, showing strength in the field of traffic services.
In the category of smaller cities, Seongdong-gu earned high marks in citizen participation and governance aspects with its resident engagement policy proposal platform and public-private cooperation in urban management. The district drew attention for developing and operating a safe school route service based on consultations with elementary school stakeholders, including parents. Yoon Jong-bin, director of the Urban Economy Division at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, stated, “We will support discovering excellent cases and collaborating with the private sector to expand internationally.”