Seoul Rolls Out Holographic Police To Cut Down On Crime
A district in central Seoul has come up with a novel way to deter crime. Holographic cops present a high-tech police presence to reassure community members wary of robberies and assaults in a neighborhood park. The roll-out has apparently had some positive results.
High-Tech Policing
Seoul Leans Into Holographic Deterrence, Sees Results
REPORTER:
A year ago, police in downtown Seoul’s Jung district came up with an unusual plan for augmenting patrols — they began projecting holograms of officers onto life-sized cutouts to reassure residents wary of crime at a local park.
The virtual officers pop up every two minutes between 7 and 10 pm throughout Jeongdong Park and come with a wry warning to smile for the CCTV cameras.
The holograms also come with an emergency button next to the cutouts just in case someone needs to alert actual flesh-and-blood police.
The idea came from Officer Kim Su-Hyang. She wanted to create a visible police presence to reassure friends and family worried about walking through the park at night.
Kim Su-hyang (ASSISTANT INSPECTOR, SEOUL METROPOLITAN POLICE):
We project [a video] onto a life-sized acrylic signboard from behind. That way, the holographic video is displayed across the whole figure, from head to toe.
REPORTER:
The cop popups have turned out to not be just for show either — they’ve apparently had a noticeable effect. According to city police records, crime in the area dropped by 22 percent between the start of the projections in October 2024 through May 2025— notably robberies and assaults.
Kim Hyun-don (OFFICER, SEOUL METROPOLITAN POLICE):
Since these crimes are triggered by sudden bursts of emotion it’s usually very difficult for officers to intervene beforehand which makes prevention challenging. In that sense, the visual message that “the police are always watching” helped raise awareness and acted as an effective deterrent.
REPORTER:
But do residents in this Seoul neighborhood feel safer with the cutouts?
Choi In-jung (RESIDENT):
It looks just like a regular person [cop] and when I see it at night since it really feels like there's a police officer standing right next to me that makes me feel safer personally.
REPORTER:
Others may not be so certain. A British criminology professor says that despite the shimmering silhouettes issuing their tinny warnings from the shadows, crime could rise again once the novelty wears off. But for the time being, they’re a light in the darkness.
