Jakarta Metro Seoul Starts Translation Services With AI For Foreign Tourists At Myeong-dong Station: There Is Indonesian Language

Myong-dong Station, Seoul, South Korea. (Wikimedia Commons/LERK)

JAKARTA - One of the operators of the Seoul Metropolitan Subway service in the City of Seoul, South Korea, Seoul Metro said, real-time translator services for foreign tourists began testing at Myong-dong Station for line 4 subway services earlier this month.

The translation service, supported by artificial intelligence (AI), facilitates smooth communication between international tourists and metro station staff, allowing them to communicate in their respective languages while facing each other through transparent OLED screens.

This service supports 13 languages, including Korea, England, Japan, China, Vietnam, Thailand, Malay, Indonesia, Spain, France, Germany, Arabia and Russia.

This service aims to improve the convenience of foreigners and increase the response of station staff at the site. It combines a cable and wireless touchscreen and microphone, allowing users to quickly and accurately receive information about subways.

The transparent OLED screen also provides a route search function and details the tariff price depending on the subway route that passengers want.

Additionally, it offers information about T-Locker, a freight storage service in Seoul Metro and T-LUGage, a live baggage storage facility that can be found at subway stations.

After testing on-site with foreigners carried out throughout November, Metro Seoul reported high user satisfaction.

During the testing period, the service underwent improvements, including the application of directed microphones and noise removal technologies to improve voice recognition, particularly for nouns such as station names. This improvement aims to address the problem of language recognition and translation arising from the loud noise at the station.

"With the introduction of this system for the first time, we hope that foreigners from various countries visiting Korea will be able to easily and comfortably receive information on the use of subways. We will also increase foreign tourist satisfaction by further increasing comfort and usability by providing services along with mobile devices such as cell phones," said CEO of Seoul Metro Baek Ho, as reported by The Korea Times December 20.

Meanwhile, the trial period for real-time translation services will last for four months, initially installed at the entrance to the customer safety office at Myeong-dong Station, given the station's status as a top priority for foreign tourism.

If this trial is considered successful, this service will be expanded to five stations that are often visited by many foreigners, including Seoul Station, Itaewon Station, Gimpo Airport Station, Gwanghwamun Station and Hongik University Station next year.