Jeju Island has implemented a system utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) to track the movements of missing persons, contributing to the recovery of 29 individuals over the past two years.
According to Yonhap News, Jeju announced on October 23 that from June 2024 to October 2026, the AI missing person tracking platform (TOSS) supported police in 286 missing person searches, aiding in the discovery of 29 individuals.
In 2024, the platform assisted in the search for 105 individuals, leading to the recovery of 13. Last year, it supported searches for 98 individuals, with 6 found. This year, as of October, it has aided in the search for 83 individuals, resulting in 10 recoveries.
TOSS identifies individuals based on their clothing, height, and belongings, tracking their movements through closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage. Unlike previous methods that required manual review of extensive footage, the AI narrows the search parameters, significantly reducing search time. This system is particularly useful for quickly locating missing children and elderly individuals with dementia.
The operation of the system involves collaboration between Jeju Island, the Jeju Police Agency, and the Jeju Eastern, Jeju Western, and Seogwipo Police Stations. When a missing person's characteristics are registered by the police's missing persons team, the Jeju Safety Policy Division approves the video search request. The CCTV Integrated Control Center then provides 24-hour video search support.
TOSS was developed through a public project funded by the Ministry of Science and ICT and the Korea Information and Communication Industry Promotion Agency. Jeju invested 3.5 billion won in government funding from 2022 to 2023 for system development and testing, receiving equipment and software as in-kind support, thus avoiding additional budget burdens.
Jeju plans to continue its collaboration with police for missing person searches while expanding AI-based CCTV monitoring capabilities. Currently, the AI screening system is applied to 11,400 cameras, representing 58% of all CCTV on the island. Plans are underway to gradually introduce features that detect fires and wandering behaviors, thereby broadening the scope of protection for vulnerable populations, including the elderly with dementia.
Jo Sang-beom, head of Jeju's Safety and Health Office, stated, "The AI missing person tracking platform is a key tool for early response to missing person cases. We will strengthen collaboration with the police to create a safe Jeju where residents and tourists can feel secure."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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