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Busan Metropolitan City Completes 100% Deployment of Dedicated Vehicles for Emergency Safety Service for Seniors Living Alone and Persons with Severe Disabilities – First Among Metropolitan Governments in Korea

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Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Park Heong-joon) announced today (23rd) that with the donation ceremony, all 17 institutions providing the Emergency Safety Service for seniors living alone and persons with severe disabilities in Busan have now been equipped with dedicated vehicles. This achievement marks the first such milestone among metropolitan governments nationwide.

The Emergency Safety Service is a program that installs digital equipment in the homes of seniors living alone and persons with severe disabilities who require continuous monitoring, so that in the event of emergencies such as fires, rapid response can be provided. Seventeen institutions across the districts and counties are carrying out the program, installing safety devices in approximately 19,000 households. As of the end of August 2025, emergency call devices had been activated 1,075 times, with emergency response personnel dispatched accordingly.

In particular, the completion of the 100% dedicated vehicle deployment was made possible through donations from local companies SB Sunbo Co., Ltd. and Panasia Co., Ltd., underscoring its significance as a public-private partnership model aimed at strengthening the social safety net for vulnerable groups.

Last August, SB Sunbo Co., Ltd. donated KRW 170 million to provide dedicated vehicles for 10 institutions delivering the service. Today (23rd), Panasia Co., Ltd. contributed funds to supply vehicles for the remaining seven institutions.

The donation ceremony took place at 16:50 in the Protocol Room of City Hall, where Panasia Co., Ltd. handed over KRW 119 million in support for vehicles at seven institutions. Mayor Park Heong-joon, Jeong Jin-hoon, Head of Corporate Strategy at Panasia, and Lee Soo-tae, Chair of the Community Chest of Korea, attended the event.

The city expects that dedicated vehicles will expand the mobility of emergency response personnel, helping to secure critical “golden time” in urgent situations. Furthermore, the perception among citizens that “response personnel can arrive at any time” is expected to enhance trust and maximize the effectiveness of the Emergency Safety Service.

At the ceremony, Mayor Park Heong-joon said, “The Emergency Safety Service is a program that is completed when personnel respond on-site. Vehicles play a crucial role beyond serving as mere means of transportation; they connect technology with people. This achievement holds great meaning as it was accomplished not only through administrative support but also through public-private cooperation such as corporate donations.”

He added, “Busan Metropolitan City will continue to advance the Emergency Safety Service as a national best practice for building an age-friendly and happy city, while reinforcing community care.”