From the outside, this looks like your everyday, run of the mill hotel.
But it's far from ordinary.
This hotel in downtown Seoul is what's referred to as a smart hotel, a distinction earned after inventing the world's first application that could resolve the needs of hotel guests at the push of a finger.
How does it work?
Upon checking in, guests receive a smart phone that has the application installed.
The phone is used as a key to enter the hotel room, switch T.V. channels and can be used to control the lights.
The program can be used even if you're not in the room, to set the room temperature just right for when you return or to alert a housekeeper that the room needs cleaning.
This use of smart technology isn't just reserved for hotels.
Automakers are also jumping in.


"There is no telling where this smart technology will take us in the next few years. Korean automakers are already on the bandwagon. With just one push of a button, drivers can lock and unlock their car door, set the air conditioning just right and even start up their engines."

Smart hotels and smart cars are already here, and the world's first smart hospital is expected to open in late April.


"The smart guide system will inform patients of their daily schedules, help them register, and give them wait times. With their smart phone, they can get directions and destination routes for their next treatment, which will make operations more efficient. This lets patients to find their way around the hospital and get treated on their own."

In recent years, Korea has become the world's IT capital, and it won't be long until most problems can be solved with a push of a button.
Kim Hyun-bin Arirang News

Reporter : hyunbin@arirang.co.kr