In front of an elementary school in downtown Seoul. On weekdays at 8:30 a.m., cars line up while encroaching on the sidewalk, causing a tangle with children going to school. Residents have filed complaints about illegal parking for months, but enforcement has been slow. However, the situation has changed recently. When a specific time arrives, CCTV automatically activates, and AI captures vehicles parked for more than 3 minutes in real-time. The violating vehicle number and parking duration appear, and a red warning light turns on the dashboard.
Seongdong District is the first among local autonomous districts to begin construction of a preemptive illegal parking enforcement system utilizing artificial intelligence (AI). The judgment is based on the limitations in immediacy and accuracy of on-site responses due to repetitive complaints, false reports, and retaliatory tips. Intelligent CCTV that automatically recognizes license plates and systems that detect illegal parking through sensors placed in parking spaces have been introduced in some local governments. However, this is the first time AI will learn from complaints and enforcement data to establish prioritized enforcement areas and time zones, making judgments based on real-time CCTV video analysis.
According to industry sources on the 7th, Seongdong District recently planned to establish an 'AI-based illegal parking enforcement system' by the end of the year. This system involves adding AI-based analysis and control functions to the existing infrastructure, which operates 476 fixed CCTV locations and 4 mobile units. Seongdong District plans to construct a system that can integrate and manage all enforcement data, including newly installed equipment in the future.
A Seongdong District official noted, 'Previously, enforcement was carried out when complaints were received, and data was managed primarily based on enforcement history.' He explained, 'This system aims to transform the approach to preemptive prevention by big data-izing real-time enforcement materials.'
With the introduction of the AI system, the method of enforcement is expected to change. By linking internal enforcement information with the Seoul Traffic Violation Management System (S-TOP), the AI will automatically predict and analyze areas or time zones with frequent complaints. Based on this, it will be possible to set enforcement priorities or respond proactively before complaints arise.
Collected enforcement information will be statistically processed by violation location, day of the week, and time, visualized in dashboard form. The officer in charge can check real-time streaming of the on-site situation through a GIS-based platform, and the system will also automatically detect equipment malfunctions.
Seongdong District will also expand automation at the administrative processing stage. The entire process from complaint receipt to processing and completion will be managed by the system, which will be designed to allow tracking of retaliatory reports or duplicate complaints. For mobile units, plans are in place to automatically link location information based on GPS to ensure the reliability of enforcement records.
Seongdong District plans to review its achievements as soon as the system construction is completed, and to expand the range of additional equipment and interconnection with related systems. If this case proves effective, expansion to other local governments is also anticipated.
According to the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, the proportion of complaints related to illegal parking was the highest among the increase in nationwide complaints last January and was classified as a typical life complaint directly linked to local traffic order issues. According to the Seoul government, the amount of fines imposed for illegal parking also increased by 6.2%, from 72.8 billion won in 2022 to 77.3 billion won last year.