Seoul's Dongdaemun-gu said it will install IoT smart fire extinguishers at key locations across the district, building a data-driven local safety network that enables real-time monitoring of extinguisher status so residents can use them immediately when a fire breaks out.
The project is part of the Ministry of Interior and Safety's "2026 Data-Driven Local Problem-Solving Project," a resident-centered initiative in which local governments and private companies collaborate to address everyday community issues using digital technologies such as AI and the Internet of Things. Five projects were selected nationwide this year, with Dongdaemun-gu the only participant from the Greater Seoul metropolitan area.
The district's project — titled "Upgrading the Data-Driven Local Safety Network: Building a 365-Day Always-On Smart Fire Extinguisher Infrastructure" — runs from April through November 2026. Total funding amounts to 200 million won ($136,000), comprising a national government grant of 140 million won and a district contribution of 60 million won. Working with project operator BNS Tech Co., the district plans to deploy 260 IoT smart fire extinguishers alongside a communications network and a GIS-based integrated control system.
Installation sites include 15 community service centers, 50 daycare centers, traditional markets and densely packed residential areas where fire trucks have difficulty gaining access. The district will replace aging extinguishers with IoT-enabled units and systematically track each unit's location and its inspection and replacement history.
In a national first, the district will mount dedicated protective housings and smart extinguishers on CCTV poles in residential neighborhoods, placing the devices within easy reach in narrow alleyways so residents can quickly locate and use them before fire trucks arrive. Pressure, location and other status data for every unit will be available around the clock, 365 days a year, allowing the district to ensure each extinguisher is always ready for use and to strengthen early-response capacity in fire-prone areas.
Bae Min-ho, chief executive of project operator BNS Tech Co., said the company would "secure communications stability and equipment reliability tailored to the characteristics of each site — traditional markets, daycare centers, residential alleyways — and deliver a smart fire-safety infrastructure that gives residents peace of mind."
Dongdaemun-gu District Mayor Choi Dong-min said: "Safety begins not with responding after an accident occurs, but with verifying that equipment works properly at all times and preparing for the golden hour. We will deploy smart fire extinguishers densely throughout residents' daily lives — from community centers, daycare facilities and traditional markets to CCTV poles in residential alleyways — to build a safer Dongdaemun-gu that people can feel in their everyday lives."
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