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[HEALTH] · South Korea · 4 sources

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South Korea's AI‑equipped Han River bridges lift suicide‑prevention rescue rate above 99%

South Korean authorities have installed an artificial‑intelligence surveillance system on 17 bridges spanning the Han River in Seoul. Nearly 900 AI‑enabled cameras monitor the bridges, automatically detecting behaviours such as lingering, entering hazardous zones or using suicide‑prevention phones. When a potential incident is flagged, an alert is sent to a central control centre.

The system, operational since 2021, has markedly improved outcomes. The rescue success rate rose from 56% in 2012 to more than 99% today, with emergency teams reaching most bridges within five minutes – a critical window for intervention. In the previous year the cameras identified over 1,200 suicide‑related events, rescuing the majority of those involved; roughly eight individuals could not be saved.

Director Kim Jun‑young of the integrated CCTV control centre highlighted the technology’s role in giving at‑risk persons a chance to reconsider. Japanese firm Asilla supplies the AI‑analysis software, which can also detect falls and other abnormal behaviours. South Korea’s suicide rate in 2024 reached 29 per 100,000 people, the highest level since 2011, underscoring the public‑health urgency of the initiative.

Entities

Asilla · Han River · Kim Jun Young · Kim Jun‑young · Republic of Korea · Seoul · South Korea · Yuka Suzuki

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