Scan a QR code to see Seoul’s safety information at a glance... Police and tourism organization join forces

[Financial News] Seoul Namdaemun Police Station is partnering with the Seoul Tourism Organization (STO) to link tourist information with public safety services for the sake of foreign tourists’ safety in Seoul. It plans to provide crime-prevention and emergency-response information at tourism information centers, tourist information offices and other locations, and to expand use of its multilingual safety information service.
According to police on the 21st, Seoul Namdaemun Police Station signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with STO the previous day to improve the safety and convenience of foreign tourists.
The agreement was initiated to make safety information more readily accessible to visitors during their trips, as the number of foreign tourists visiting Korea grows and their travel activities expand. The two organizations agreed to combine the police’s expertise in public safety and crime prevention with STO’s tourism information and promotional infrastructure.
Under the agreement, safety information needed by foreign tourists during their trips—including crime-prevention tips and emergency-response guidance—will be provided at tourism information centers and tourist information offices operated by STO. The organizations will also strengthen tourism information staff’s ability to provide safety guidance and jointly run campaigns to promote a culture of safety at major tourist attractions in Seoul.
The station will also step up promotion of its multilingual safety information service, “Seoul Safety Information at Your Fingertips with One QR Code.” The service allows foreign tourists to scan a QR code and access safety information they need for traveling in Seoul. The two organizations plan to encourage use of the service through on-site hubs such as tourist information offices and online and offline tourism promotion channels.
This coming November, the organizations plan to jointly hold a “Safe and Clean Myeong-dong Campaign for Foreign Tourists” in the Myeong-dong area, a popular destination for foreign tourists. They will also provide information on crime prevention and safety rules and undertake activities to create a pleasant tourism environment.
The two organizations plan to share feedback from areas with large numbers of foreign tourists, such as Myeong-dong and Namdaemun Market, and use it to identify new tourism safety initiatives. Another feature of the partnership is that it can spread safety information by using existing tourism information infrastructure without additional budget outlays.
Ham Gyeong-cheol, chief of Seoul Namdaemun Police Station, said, “It is important to ensure that foreign tourists visiting Seoul can easily and quickly obtain the safety information they need, even in an unfamiliar environment.” He added, “We will provide the multilingual safety information service to more foreign tourists and strengthen on-the-ground cooperation to promote crime prevention and a culture of safety.”
[email protected] Seo Ji-yun Reporter