Seoul City Officials’ Ideas to Become Policy... First Creative Ideas Showcase of the 9th Elected Administration

[Financial News] An AI-powered water-accident rescue service and plans to boost the nighttime economy proposed by Seoul City officials will be put into practice as actual policies. The Seoul Metropolitan Government said it held the first Creative Ideas Showcase of its ninth elected administration at Seoul City Hall’s Multipurpose Hall on the 9th, and unveiled eight finalists selected from 699 ideas proposed by its employees.
The showcase was held under the themes of ‘A Vibrant 24-Hour Economy’ and ‘AI and Big Data for Administrative Innovation.’ Four proposals in each category were selected following internal and expert reviews of submissions made from May to August by employees of the Seoul Metropolitan Government, district governments, and investment- and contribution-funded institutions. About 300 people, including Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, experts and members of the public, attended the event.
The top prize went to ‘Pungdeong: AI Water-Accident Rescue Service,’ proposed by Seoul Arisu Headquarters. The idea is for AI to detect the sound of someone falling into the Han River and dispatch a drone to the scene to help carry out a swift rescue.
The top excellence award went to ‘Linking Seoul’s Night from Nodeul Island to the Alleys,’ proposed by the Future Space Planning Bureau. The proposal aims to boost the nighttime economy by connecting Nodeul Global Art Island with the Hangang Bus and directing visitors toward nearby neighborhood businesses. The winning entry was decided by a vote of an on-site evaluation panel comprising about 100 experts, members of the public and employees.
Other proposals in the nighttime economy category included using convenience stores as nighttime tourist information centers for foreign visitors and as hubs where people can safely head home. Ideas were also presented to create workation spaces combining work and leisure in Eunpyeong District’s hanok village, and to install traffic-signal-linked lighting at crosswalks.
In the AI administrative innovation category, one proposal called for developing technology to analyze accumulated leak-sound data and pinpoint leaks in water pipes. Another proposed analyzing tax delinquency information and social security and health insurance data to identify households facing a welfare crisis, then using AI to connect them with public and private welfare resources and provide support tailored to each household.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to review the ideas presented at the showcase, identify those that can be put into policy, and turn them into actual administrative services.
Since introducing creative administration in 2023, the city has held 16 showcases, including this one. It has received 8,700 ideas, 156 of which have been selected as outstanding proposals. Notable examples include a policy granting transfer benefits to subway passengers who reboard within 15 minutes of getting off, and ‘Ongi Store,’ which serves residents of tiny-room neighborhoods.
Mayor Oh said, “It has been three months since we launched our nighttime economy revitalization initiative, and I hope more ideas will emerge so Seoul’s economy becomes even more vibrant. I hope we can all work together to make good use of the ideas presented today so that this warmth reaches neighborhood businesses too.”

[email protected] Seong Chorong Reporter