A park in Seoul transforms every night into an unexpected stage. From seven in the afternoon, between street lamps and shadows, the figure of a police with impeccable uniform arises. Speak in a firm voice, throw a message and, suddenly, fades in the air. Two minutes later, it reappears to repeat the same scene. It is not a flesh and bone agent, but about Un real size hologram which has become the new attraction and security measure of the neighborhood.
The bet began in October 2024 as an experiment of the Jungbu police station and the Seoul City Council. The selected park was not accidental: located next to the popular gastronomic area of Euljiro, it was the usual scenario of incidents linked to alcohol consumption, As the local newspaper The Scoop explains. Police were looking for a way to strengthen security without displaying more personnel in difficult coverage. Thus collaboration with a technology company arose, which designed a system capable of projecting a virtual agent every night to remember that the place was monitored.
A HOLOGRAM AGAINST CRIME
The device uses a projector that launches the image of a policeman on a real -size acrylic plate. Every night, the hologram appears for a few seconds and repeats again every two minutes. Its presence is not limited to the visual, since in a clear voice it always conveys the same notice, which Remember passersby permanent surveillance of the area:
“Hello, we are the Jungbu police station in Seoul. This area has an intelligent CCTV system. This system is in operation so that the police can respond in real time if an incident of violence or other emergency situation occurs. The Jungbu police station will continue working with the district to create a safer community. Thank you.”
The first data collected shows that the bet has not gone unnoticed. According to figures from the Jungbu police station, between October 2024 and May 2025, incidents registered in the Park were reduced around 22% compared to the same period of the previous year. The descent was noticed above all in situations of spontaneous origin, such as altercations or discussions linked to alcohol consumption. For the police, this initial effect demonstrates that the hologram has served to cover holes in the usual surveillance.
Those responsible for the project insist that the idea was born from a very specific need. Agent Kim Hyun-Don, from the Jungbu police station, He explained in an interview with the South Klab Canal that the park was surrounded by bars and leisure premises and that many neighbors preferred to avoid it at night for fear of meeting drunken people. “We thought that a visible policeman, even if it was virtual, could give security to citizens and at the same time deter those who could cause problems,” he said. For the police, the hologram is a risky experiment, but also an opportunity to innovate in prevention.
Not all citizens interpret the hologram in the same way. While some perceive it as a presence that provides security, others believe that the measure will lose efficacy over time. A neighbor interviewed by The Scoop warned that “to really reduce incidents Frequent patrols are needed or a change in the dynamics of the neighborhood. ”In parallel, comments on the Internet oscillated between the joke and surprise: several users described it as a“ police ghost ”, although others celebrated the originality of the experiment.
Seoul Metropolitan Police
The project, despite its good initial results, is not free of problems. Those responsible admit that technology is sensitive to external factors: on extreme heat or intense cold days, The projector can fail. There are also neighbors who complain that the voice of the hologram is not heard well when there is noise in the street. To this is added a deeper doubt: if at the beginning it impresses and deter, over time it could become part of the landscape and lose its impact.
Seoul’s “holographic police” has become a striking experiment within the debate on how to strengthen security in public spaces. Its initial efficacy shows that technology can provide creative solutions, although doubts about their permanence remain open. It remains to be seen if this model will consolidate as a stable tool or if it will remain an anecdote in the urban history of the city.
Images | Seoul Metropolitan Police
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