The government of Seoul, South Korea, announced that it will offer a new public service concept online by building a metaverse platform. What does a city with a metaverse concept look like?
Metaverse is a combination of meta which means outside, and verse which means universe. This term refers to a 3D virtual world where all activities can take place with the help of augmented and virtual-reality services.
Such platforms have grown in popularity over the past few years as people shift their activities online, especially in the midst of the Corona virus pandemic that is sweeping the world.
Quoted from the Korea Herald, the platform, named Metaverse Seoul, will be built at the end of next year. The city government will later start implementing the metaverse ecosystem for administrative services in all areas of city administration, such as economy, culture, tourism, education and civil complaints.
The 3.9 billion won project is part of Mayor Oh Se-hoon's vision of Seoul as an "emotional city of the future" under his "Seoul Vision 2030" policy.
So far, most of the metaverse services provided by public institutions have functional limitations in implementing complex and diverse administrative services because they are based on private platforms.
Metaverse Seoul will gradually implement various civic and corporate support services, such as a virtual New Year's Eve bell ringing ceremony at Bosingak Belfry, a virtual mayor's office, and virtual services from Seoul Fintech Lab, Invest Seoul, and Seoul Campus Town.
In 2023, a virtual general civil service office, tentatively called the Metaverse 120 Center, will also be created to allow citizens to more easily meet with officials virtually to handle civil complaints and consultations.
In addition, major tourist attractions in Seoul, such as Gwanghwamun Square, Deoksu Palace and Namdaemun Market, will be introduced in the virtual tourism special zone, and historical sites such as Donuimun Gate will be reproduced in a virtual space close to the original. Various festivals will also be held in the metaverse, allowing anyone around the world to see it.
"Soon, Seoul residents will be able to use their VR headsets to meet officials in avatar form for consultations, visit vividly reproduced city landmarks, and attend mass gathering events," said Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon.
Officially establishing itself as the first city to enter the world of the metaverse, it is likely that Seoul will also become the first city in the world with this futuristic concept. Are other cities in various countries also ready to switch to the metaverse?