AI analyzes CCTV footage using descriptions and photos of missing persons
Search results mapped by time and location to narrow field response
Gwangjin-gu in Seoul has launched an AI-based high-speed CCTV search system to help locate missing persons — including elderly residents with dementia and children — and ensure their safe return.
Because tracing a missing person's movements quickly in the early stages of a disappearance is critical, the district built the system to use AI to rapidly analyze large volumes of CCTV footage and track a missing person's route.
The system accepts a physical description or photograph of a missing person, then scans footage from nearby CCTV cameras and identifies clips in which a similar-looking individual appears.
Previously, staff had to review each camera's footage individually, a process that took considerable time. With the new system, footage from 100 cameras covering one hour can be searched and analyzed in about 10 minutes, significantly speeding up the initial response to a missing-person case.
Search results are displayed on a map alongside the subject's movement path by time, giving responders an at-a-glance view of the person's location and direction of travel. Police can use that information to quickly define a search area and concentrate efforts on zones where the missing person is most likely to be found.
To maximize the system's practical use, Gwangjin-gu conducted training sessions and distributed operating manuals to partner agencies, including the missing-persons investigation team at Gwangjin Police Station. The district also established a coordination framework so that the CCTV integrated control center and police can share search results and movement data in real time during a missing-person incident.
"Securing the golden hour is everything in a missing-person case, so the key is using AI to quickly map out a movement route and get search teams on the ground," Gwangjin-gu District Mayor Kim Kyung-ho said. "We will continue to make full use of advanced IT and surveillance systems and strengthen cooperation with police and other partner agencies to build Gwangjin into a smart, safe city where every resident can live with peace of mind."
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