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| Traveler wait to check in at Terminal 2 of Incheon International Airport, Oct. 4. Yonhap |
Korea said Tuesday it will introduce a new screening system at airports by 2027, a cutting-edge technology that could help passengers avoid the hassle of taking out laptops and liquid items for security checks.
The smart "walk through" system can detect laptops, radioactive materials, prohibited liquids and other items inside carry-on luggage, which could shorten the screening process from the current 37 seconds to 7 seconds, according to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.
The new system is part of a 301.3 billion won ($243.5 million) basic plan on aviation security, which calls for a set of measures to improve the security system at airports and other related facilities and to secure advanced technologies in the field.
The government also plans to earmark 49.9 billion won over the next five years to develop advanced screening equipment that uses artificial intelligence and terahertz technologies, in line with growing adoptions of alternative transportation modes, such as urban air mobility.
The 2022-2026 plan also called for integrating information on aviation security, which is managed separately by the central government and related agencies, and digitalizing all related materials by 2023.
This information will be used to set up a system designed to analyze terror attacks and cyberattacks against airports and aircraft by 2026 so as to prevent and better respond to such growing security challenges, according to the ministry.
It also vowed to set up a drone detection system at major local airports to effectively nullify illegal unmanned vehicles.
"We will also expand the mutual recognition of security standards with foreign aviation authorities to simplify the boarding process and to boost passengers' convenience," the ministry said. (Yonhap)
