"Travel Safely in Seoul with Just a Smartphone QR Code"... Seoul Namdaemun Police Station Launches Multilingual Safety Information Campaign in Myeong-dong

[Financial News] A multilingual QR code service is being launched that allows foreign tourists visiting downtown Seoul to check crime and safety information without having to select a separate language.
According to the police on the 4th, Seoul Namdaemun Police Station will conduct a 'Multilingual QR Code Crime Prevention Campaign' targeting foreign tourists in the Myeong-dong area from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. that day.
This campaign was organized to enable foreigners visiting downtown Seoul, including Myeong-dong and Namdaemun Market, to easily and quickly check necessary public safety and security information without language barriers.
The webpage established by Seoul Namdaemun Police Station is designed so that foreigners can check essential safety information needed during their stay in Seoul, such as how to report an incident to 112, guidance on reporting lost and found items, and contact information for embassies of various countries, by scanning a QR code. Reflecting the number of foreign tourists visiting Korea from each country last year, it supports eight languages, including Korean, English, Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Russian, and Spanish.
In particular, there is no need for a separate language selection process. When the QR code is scanned, the language set on the user's mobile phone is automatically recognized, and the safety information page in that language is displayed immediately.
Ten foreign volunteers directly participated in the process of building the webpage. They provided information needed from the perspective of actual users and suggestions for improvement, which the police reflected in the webpage's structure and guidance content.
Twenty-nine people, including officials from Seoul Namdaemun Police Station, Jung-gu District Office, foreign volunteers from the Jung-gu Volunteer Center, the Seoul Tourism Association, and the Myeongdong Special Tourist Zone Council, will participate in the campaign that day. The participants plan to guide foreign tourists in the Myeong-dong area on how to use the QR code and distribute promotional materials.
Seoul Namdaemun Police Station plans to analyze QR code access and usage trends, as well as feedback from foreign users, to supplement the information provided and promote the service through various media.
Choi Jae-seong, head of the Crime Prevention and Response Division at Seoul Namdaemun Police Station, stated, "When a foreigner visiting Seoul faces an emergency, the most important thing is to create an environment where they can quickly and accurately check the information they need." He added, "Since we directly reflected the opinions of foreigners from the service development stage, we will continue to gather feedback from actual users to create a public safety environment where foreigners can travel in Seoul with peace of mind."


[email protected] Seo Ji-yoon Reporter