Seoul Deploys AI-Powered CCTV Network to Accelerate Missing Persons Searches
The Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG) is transforming its public safety infrastructure by implementing an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered video analysis system. Designed to drastically reduce the time required to locate missing persons and respond to crimes, the system will integrate approximately 123,000 security cameras into a single, searchable citywide network.
From Manual Review to AI Efficiency
Historically, monitoring agents had to manually review video footage from individual cameras, a process that could take hours of tedious labor. The new AI-based high-speed search system fundamentally changes this workflow. By using AI video analysis, operators can now process up to 100 hours of footage in just 10 minutes.
When a missing person report is filed, operators input specific details—such as physical descriptions and the person’s direction of movement—and the AI automatically analyzes vast amounts of data to track the individual’s route across the city.
Phased Rollout and Citywide Integration
The initiative began in the Gangnam district in 2022 and has expanded incrementally over the following years:
- 2022: Launched in Gangnam.
- 2023: Expanded to six districts.
- 2024: Expanded to another six districts.
- 2025: Expanded to seven more districts.
- 2026: Final deployment in five remaining districts—Jongno, Seongdong, Gangbuk, Dongjak, and Gwanak.
Once the rollout is complete this year, the system will eliminate the fragmentation caused by cameras operated separately by different districts. This “metropolitan-wide video search” ensures that tracking remains seamless even when a missing person crosses district boundaries.
Impact on Public Safety and Vulnerable Populations
The system is particularly critical for protecting vulnerable individuals, including children, persons with disabilities, and patients with dementia. The urgency of this deployment is underscored by data from the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, which reported approximately 13,000 missing person reports for vulnerable individuals in 2024.
To further strengthen the safety network, the SMG is also focusing on hardware upgrades. The city plans to install 1,796 new intelligent CCTVs in 449 vulnerable areas—identified through considerable data analysis of indicators like crime rates and single-person household ratios—and convert 20,533 regular CCTVs into intelligent ones.
Key Takeaways
- Scale: The system integrates 123,000 security cameras across all 25 Seoul districts.
- Speed: Analysis time is reduced from hours of manual review to 10 minutes for every 100 hours of footage.
- Track Record: The system has already been utilized in approximately 1,600 cases to improve field response.
- Scope: Deployment will be fully completed across all districts by the end of 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does the AI search for missing persons?
Operators input physical descriptions and movement directions, and the AI automatically scans the integrated CCTV network to track the person’s route.
Which districts are receiving the final phase of the rollout?
The final five districts to be integrated in 2026 are Jongno, Seongdong, Gangbuk, Dongjak, and Gwanak.
What makes these “intelligent” CCTVs different from regular ones?
Unlike regular cameras that require manual monitoring, intelligent CCTVs utilize AI-powered video analysis to automatically detect and track specific subjects across a unified network.