Starting in September, a free 'commute notification service' will be implemented for all elementary school students in Seoul. This service, which previously varied by school and required parents to pay fees, will now be expanded into a universal public safety net covering all grades in the city’s elementary schools.
The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education announced on August 26 that it will fully support the commute notification service for approximately 320,000 students across 607 public and private elementary schools starting in the new school year.
The service automatically recognizes students' commute information through devices they carry and relay systems installed at school entrances, sending real-time updates to parents via text messages or smartphone app notifications.
As of December 2025, 429 out of 606 elementary schools in Seoul (70.8%) were operating their own notification services, but most required parents to pay monthly fees ranging from 2,200 to 3,300 won. This led to disparities in service access and financial burdens among families.
This initiative is a follow-up to the joint 'Comprehensive Measures for Ensuring Children's Safety on Their Commute' and is a key promise of Superintendent Jeong Geun-sik regarding safety. The education office has secured approximately 900 million won in special disaster management funds from the Ministry of Education to cover the service fees and costs for backup devices.
Support for the policy among parents and citizens is overwhelming. A survey conducted by the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education in late April, which included 4,802 participants, found that 96.9% (4,653 respondents) supported the full free provision of the commute notification service.
The most anticipated benefit of the free service is the ability to immediately verify children's commute status to prevent accidents (87.4%), followed by creating a social environment prioritizing elementary student safety, addressing disparities in safety services across regions, and reducing financial burdens on parents. In fact, 98.7% of existing service users reported that it significantly contributes to student safety.
In preparation for the full implementation in September, the education office is distributing standard guidelines to reduce confusion in schools and is promoting voluntary contracts at the school level. Procedures for transitioning to the new service, distributing new devices, and refunding existing paid users will be communicated to parents through school notices based on each school's readiness.
After the service launches, the education office plans to conduct ongoing field inspections and gather feedback to improve device recognition errors and ensure service quality.
Superintendent Jeong Geun-sik emphasized, "Supporting all parents in safely monitoring their children's commute and creating a secure commuting environment is the education office's most important responsibility. We will establish a robust safety network for all elementary students and their parents in Seoul."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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