SEOUL — In a high-tech approach to public safety, Seoul police have installed a full-size holographic officer in a city park as part of a broader initiative to deter crime without deploying actual personnel, Vice reported.
The projection, which activates nightly between 7 and 10 p.m. in Judong No. 3 Park, issues repeated warnings about CCTV surveillance and assures onlookers that real officers will respond “in real time” if necessary, according to the report. The hologram, developed by South Korean tech company Hologrammica, has been operating since October 2024 under the city’s “Safe Park” program.
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Since its installation, police say reported crimes in the area during those hours have dropped by roughly 22%, according to data shared with the outlet E-Daily. While the hologram cannot intervene or make arrests, officials attribute the decline in incidents to the perceived presence of law enforcement.
“Although it was clear upon closer inspection that the person wasn’t a real person, the mere perception of police presence had a significant deterrent effect,” police said in a statement.
Standing at approximately 170 cm (5 feet 7 inches), the projection was modeled on a real officer and emits a faint glow in the dark.
Jungbu Police Station Chief Ahn Dong-hyun described the hologram as a “smart security device” and confirmed that authorities are exploring expansion of similar deterrents into other public spaces.
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