Geumcheon-gu's 'Ongi ON Talk' Named Best Practice at Kakao Public Innovation Awards... Recognized as Public-Sector Innovation Case Harnessing Kakao's Technology and Services

Public Innovation Award winner
Public Innovation Award winner

Geumcheon-gu announced that its "Ongi ON Talk" program has been selected as a best practice at the "2026 Kakao Public Innovation Awards." The KakaoTalk-based service, designed to prevent lonely deaths, was the first of its kind introduced nationwide.

"Ongi ON Talk" checks on socially isolated households by sending them a KakaoTalk message and confirming their well-being through whether the message has been marked as "read." Geumcheon-gu launched the program in March 2025, becoming the first local government in the country to do so, and it now covers 1,327 households.

The service is designed for residents who feel burdened by phone calls or in-person visits. It lets them confirm their safety through the KakaoTalk app they already use daily, without installing any separate device or sending a reply. This makes it easier to reach socially isolated households that are reluctant to accept face-to-face services, allowing their well-being to be checked naturally as part of everyday life.

If a message goes unread, a counselor calls to check on the resident. If anything unusual turns up or further confirmation is needed, the case is shared with the local dong community center. The center continues to monitor the resident and connects them with welfare services.

The Kakao Public Innovation Awards, hosted by Kakao, recognize innovative public-sector cases that make use of Kakao's technology and services. Geumcheon-gu was selected for its operation of Ongi ON Talk, which uses KakaoTalk — an app residents already rely on daily. The service minimizes unnecessary intervention in the lives of isolated households while ensuring the existing welfare system can still respond swiftly in a crisis.

Along with Ongi ON Talk, Geumcheon-gu operates a range of smart safety-net services — including AI speakers, an AI well-being check service and the Hello Safe Mobile program. These services help detect residents at risk of lonely death early and strengthen its crisis-response care system.

"Ongi ON Talk is Geumcheon-gu's own smart safety net, designed to check on residents' safety without excessively disrupting the daily lives of isolated households," Geumcheon-gu District Mayor Choi Ki-chan said. "We will continue to make active use of new technologies and cooperation among the public sector, private sector and residents to look after our community more closely, and to build a safety net in which no resident is left isolated."


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