Seoul, South Korea’s capital, has become the first major city to enter the metaverse. Its Metropolitan Government plans to build a metaverse ecosystem for its municipal administration called Metaverse Seoul.
This is a part of the city’s mayor Oh Se-hoon’s plan to make Seoul a global centre for developing technologies. The building project will cost an estimated $34 million and span a five-year period (broken into three stages).
According to Mayor Oh Se-hoon, the project begins next year. During a September announcement, his virtual avatar said, “The fourth industrial revolution and the explosion of the “untact” culture during Corona demand a change in the way we deliver public service by building a Metaverse Seoul platform.”
Seoul is set to kick things off this New Year’s eve with the traditional Bosingak bell-ringing ceremony. The event will take place on the metaverse platform.
Metaverse Seoul will offer various business support services and facilities. These include the Virtual Mayor’s Office, Seoul FinTech Lab, Invest Seoul, and Seoul Campus Town.
The metaverse will also host Seoul’s major events, such as the Seoul Lantern Festival, beginning in 2023. That way, more people worldwide can attend and participate in them.
The project would also give priority to the economic, educational, cultural, tourist, communication, urban development, administrative, and infrastructure sectors.
Other planned projects for metaverse Seoul
In addition, Seoul is introducing a Virtual Tourist Zone to house its major tourist destinations. Locations include Gwanghwamun Plaza, Deoksugung Palace, Namdaemun Market. The Zone will also house lost historical resources, such as Donuimun Gate in the metaverse.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government will also provide services for the socially disadvantaged. Examples are safety and convenience content for persons with impairments that will be delivered via extended reality (XR).
The estimated completion date for the project is 2026. However, it may begin rolling out in stages as early as next year. It would first be available on smartphones. Augmented reality gear like goggles and controllers will become available later.
