Seoul to Launch Advanced Crowd-Detection System

Following last year’s tragic crowd crush in Seoul that resulted in nearly 160 deaths, the Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to bolster surveillance. Beginning October 27, a crowd-detecting system, consisting of high-definition CCTV with over 2 million pixels that can distinguish between people and a video analysis server, will be activated to automatically identify and alert authorities about large gatherings to enhance public safety. This system will analyze population density and, upon detecting a significant crowd, notify various local agencies. By year’s end, 909 cameras are expected to be placed in 71 populated areas in Seoul.