Seoul is streamlining its public safety initiatives by consolidating three distinct emergency alert devices into a unified brand known as the "Seoul Safety Bell." The city announced on the 10th that the portable "Anshim Help Me," the business-owner-focused "Safety Warning Light," and the student-targeted "Elementary Safety Bell" will all be integrated under this single umbrella.

Previously, these devices served the same core function—allowing users to trigger an emergency report with the press of a single button—yet they operated under fragmented names and disparate designs. This lack of uniformity made it difficult for citizens to recognize them as part of a cohesive, city-wide safety infrastructure. To resolve this, the Seoul Metropolitan Government is shifting toward a standardized naming convention of "Target + Safety Bell" to make the intended audience and primary function instantly transparent to the public. Under the rebranding, the portable "Anshim Help Me" will become the "Companion Safety Bell," while the storefront "Safety Warning Light" will be renamed the "Small Business Safety Bell." The "Elementary Safety Bell" will retain its original name.

Alongside standardized naming, the city has developed a unified visual identity and representative logo to solidify the Seoul Safety Bell as an integrated brand. Statistical data released by the city highlights the extensive reach of these safety tools. Between their initial rollout in 2024 and July of this year, approximately 630,000 safety bells have been distributed across Seoul. Usage metrics show that reports initiated through the Companion Safety Bell and Small Business Safety Bell totaled around 6,000 cases. Of those, approximately 100 cases resulted in direct police intervention, including law enforcement issuing warnings to perpetrators or apprehending suspects at the scene.

Building on user feedback, Seoul is preparing to release the upgraded 2026 model of the Companion Safety Bell, featuring refined designs and enhanced functionality. Applications for the new model will open late this month through the official Companion Safety Bell application page.

City officials emphasized that the rebranding aims to cement the safety bells as an accessible, everyday safeguard rather than a localized niche tool. Machae-sook, head of the Seoul Women and Family Policy Office, noted that the Seoul Safety Bell is designed to ensure that any citizen can easily call for help during an emergency, and integrating these products under one unified brand will make them more intuitive and widely utilized as a signature safety initiative for the city.

The integration of Seoul's safety devices arrives against the backdrop of ongoing efforts by metropolitan governments worldwide to leverage smart city technology and IoT-enabled safety infrastructure. Seoul has long been a pioneer in urban safety, utilizing initiatives such as the "Seoul Safe" app, a vast network of CCTV cameras monitored by smart control centers, and the "Companion Scout" service, which provides nighttime escorts for women and late-night commuters. The Seoul Safety Bell bridges the gap between digital safety applications and physical hardware, offering vulnerable populations—including single-income households, small business owners operating late-night shops, and children—a tangible, rapid-response mechanism that connects directly to emergency services. By unifying these disparate hardware lines, Seoul hopes to boost public awareness, increase device utilization rates, and foster a more resilient urban environment where safety resources are easily recognizable and universally deployed.

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