[Korea.net News, Science / Tech, December 6 2007] Incheon begins transformation into U-city

The west coast port city Incheon, pop. 2.6 million, is developing a high-tech personnel and traffic control system to establish a ubiquitous city by 2009, Incheon officials said Wednesday (Dec. 5).

Injecting 650 million won, the Incheon Metropolitan Government will install sensors on streetlights and monitors in each household in a test district so people can keep track of young children and elderly relatives.

For the system to work, the youth and aged need to carry a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag.

The city is also installing a remote control device for streetlamps.

The planned services start in January 2009.

"The U-city development projects are part of the preparations for the 2009 World City Expo and 2014 Asian Games -- both to be held in Incheon," an official explained.