53 IoT scanners installed at Gyeongdong Market, Jungnangcheon and other high-traffic sites; pilot operation launched this month to detect anomalies and support on-site response
Seoul's Dongdaemun-gu district office has launched a pilot operation of an IoT scanner-based pedestrian flow analysis system to prevent safety incidents in high-density areas, including the Gyeongdong Market district and the Jungnangcheon waterfront park, beginning earlier this month.
The project involved installing 53 Wi-Fi probe-type IoT scanners at key high-traffic locations to enable continuous monitoring and analysis of pedestrian movement.
The district plans to use the system to strengthen prevention-focused crowd safety management and respond immediately when large numbers of people gather in a short period — such as during major festivals or events. For large-scale festivals in particular, the district will provide mobile scanners free of charge to enhance crowd management tailored to each event.
The system offers four core functions: real-time crowd density monitoring, anomaly detection, analysis of visitor and return-visitor trends, and analysis of foot traffic flow by time slot and zone.
Collected data will be visualized as heat maps, zone-by-zone visitor trend charts, real-time occupancy and density figures, dwell-time distributions, return-visitor rates, and entry and exit movement patterns. The district plans to use the data not only for safety management but also broadly for policy development, including commercial district analysis and festival operations.
The system is integrated with the "Smart District Mayor's Office" dashboard, allowing all district office staff — including the disaster safety division — to check real-time field conditions. During the pilot period, the district will conduct a final system review and refine department-level operating procedures before gradually expanding the scope of use.
"Under the vision of Dongdaemun as a city that coexists with AI, we will make safety at traditional markets and festival venues our top priority and strengthen our crowd management system through real-time monitoring and early detection," district Mayor Lee Pil-hyung said. "We will use the accumulated data to anticipate and respond to warning signs in advance, and build an even more robust on-site response system that activates immediately when an incident occurs."
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