On December 8, KT signed strategic MOU with Seoul Metro Corporation to make ‘a safe and clean Green Subway development business and to work on future public transport technology research.

According to the MOU, both parties planned to collaborate on energy efficiency, safety accidents, crime prevention, and air quality improvement for subways and open gate to enable passengers to board without tagging.

Seoul Metro Corporation is Korea’s biggest regional public enterprise and is known for having a world class infrastructure among enterprises running subway systems. Seoul Metro Corporation’s infrastructure and Big Data combined with KT’s advance telecommunications technology is expected to lead the 4th industrial revolution in Korea.

KT will install integrated energy platform with artificial intelligence ‘GiGA Energy Manager’, security solution “GiGA Eyes’, voice detection emergency bell 'Safe Mate’, and real-time air quality measurement solution ‘GiGA IoT Air Map’ etc., by end of this year.

‘GiGA Energy Manager’ is a service that will display real-time energy consumption data analysis on PCs or smartphones to save energy cost. ‘GiGA Eyes' provides not only security services but also provides intelligent video analysis, notification & dispatch, IoT (smoke, motion, sound, temperature, humidity) notification services.

‘Safe Mate’ can detect screams for help from female restrooms. ‘GiGA IoT Air Map’ improves utilizing environment by monitoring real-time air quality inside subways stations.

Additionally, KT and Seoul Metro Corporation will work on a joint research to enhance the transportation service and to resolve crowded commuter's traffic during rush hours by developing open gate. The field testing location for the MOU was selected to subway line 5 which goes past the headquarters of each of the corporations (Gwanghwamun and Dapsimni).

Seoul Metro Corporation’s CEO Kim Tae-ho said, “Advancing public transportation service and digital transformation will be achieved sooner through collaboration with KT. We will work together to satisfy passengers that use Seoul subways with a safer and cleaner transportation service.”

KT’s president of management support, Ku Hyeon-Mo said, “KT has innovative technology not only in telecommunications field but also in various fields such as AI, smart energy, security, IoT and Big Data etc. We will make Seoul subways, used by over 6.8 million passengers daily, a safer and cleaner place. Also KT will actively cooperate with Seoul Metro Corporation to contribute to a better public transportation service for the future."