SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA, November 1, 2021 – A “Safe City,” one of the campaign pledges of Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon and the goals of Seoul Vision 2030, is becoming a reality through Seoul’s new smart healthcare project. From Monday, November 1, Seoul will recruit 50,000 citizens aged 19 to 64 and provide smart healthcare services from Tuesday, November 9.
In Seoul Vision 2030, a ten-year master plan for Seoul, Mayor Oh has mentioned that he would build a smart healthcare system to assist citizens with self-health management. Building such a system is one of the strategies for Seoul to become a safe and resilient city.
Each participant will be given a smart band that connects to the Seoul-type Smart Healthcare system, an integrated healthcare service based on Information and Communication Technology. With a mobile application of the system, they can easily manage their health regardless of time and space constraints.
The smart band will measure the number of steps taken, amount of exercise (such as the distance), amount of calories burned, and heart rate. Users can check the collected data on their application and set a goal customized to their health status.
If self-management is insufficient to take care of one’s health, 27 healthcare managers composed of nurses, nutritionists, and sports curers will offer assistance. They will provide counseling services based on the health data collected in the user’s account.
Seoul also has an incentive system to encourage citizens to continue their participation in the program. Whenever participants achieve their goals, such as their daily step target, Seoul will grant a maximum of 100,000 “On Health Points,” which can be used in designated sports facilities and public services provided by the city.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government will receive 50,000 applications for the program from Monday, November 1 at 10 am. The first-come-first-served recruitment will take place three times at http://onhealth.seoul.go.kr. Any citizens aged 19 to 64 are eligible for this pilot program. The only prerequisite is to have a smartphone that helps self-healthcare.
Seoul will run the program to “achieve 50% of engagement rate” in participants. Citizens joining the program can select one of the four models of the smart band (Seoul On Band). The Seoul On Band should be returned after the eight-month-long pilot program.
Seoul will further expand the program from 2023 once the final model for Seoul-type Smart Healthcare is determined. The SMG will finalize the model after inspecting and evaluating the result of the pilot program.
“Due to the prolonged pandemic, people are becoming more concerned about digital and contactless healthcare. Therefore, we will do our best to make the Seoul-type Smart Healthcare a necessary service for our citizens,” said Park Yoo-mi, Director General of Citizens’ Health Bureau. “I ask for your interest and support for this project where 50,000 citizens participated.