Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on Sunday attended the groundbreaking ceremony of the first smart city in the southern port city of Busan, the Republic of Korea, as part of his tour to the Northeast Asian country from November 24-28. 

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (3rd from right) at the groundbreaking
of the Busan Eco Delta City in the Republic of Korea on November 24, 2019.
Photo: VGP

 Dignitaries at the event include Korean President Moon Jae-in, several ASEAN leaders and the ASEAN Secretary-General.

Dubbed “Eco Delta City” near Gimhae Airport, this is part of the Korean Government’s plan to builda series of smart cities over the next five years, with Sejong and Busan chosen as test beds.

The 219.4 million-square-meter Eco Delta City will be developed with a goal of becoming a global logistics city which will be provided with hydrothermal energy.

The smart city projects are to be “human-centered”, according to the Korean Presidential Committee on the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

For instance, if a fire breaks out, sensors in nearby building will sound the alarm to alert people around the neighborhood. Fire engines will be guided by a disaster control tower in the region to take the fastest route to the scence.

Living in smart homes, residents of the smart cities will receive information regarding the weather and fine dust in real time. Their commuting times will be reduced with the help of vehicles and drone taxies based on an intelligent transportation system.

The smart city projects , which draw the participation of six Korean Government branches, including the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Ministry of Strategy and Finance and the Ministry of Science and ITC, will be expanded from Sejong and Busan to Naju, South Jeolla Province, and Gimcheon, North Gyeongsang Province.

Addressing the ceremony, President Moon highlighted the significance of smart cities for the development and prosperity of countries in the region.

Moon spoke highly of ASEAN’s recent efforts to boost the ASEAN Smart Cities Network initiative, pleding to share experience and cooperate with ASEAN partners in this domain./.