Seoul to build a public service "metaverse platform"

Beijing, November 3 (Xinhua) -- The Seoul Metropolitan Government, the capital of South Korea, announced on November 3 that it will build a "Metaverse Platform" to provide public services to citizens. At that time, the Seoul Metropolitan Government will become the first local government in South Korea to provide a Metaverse service platform.

According to the five-year plan of the Seoul Municipal Government's "Metaverse Seoul Basic Concept", the platform will be completed by the end of next year at the latest and will be temporarily named "Metaverse Seoul". After that, the Metaverse ecosystem will be introduced in three stages, involving all aspects of municipal management services, including economy, culture, tourism, education and citizen complaints.

This is a night view of the city taken at Baekbeom Square in Seoul, South Korea on June 11, 2020. ( Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Wang Jingqiang)

According to Yonhap News Agency, the project is planned to cost 3.9 billion won (about 3.3 million US dollars) and is part of Mayor Oh Se-hoon's "Seoul Vision 2030" plan to build Seoul into a city of the future.

The city government said that "Metaverse Seoul" will gradually realize the virtualization of services for citizens and businesses, such as holding a virtual New Year's Eve ceremony, setting up a virtual mayor's office, and providing virtual services for financial technology, investment and "university town" projects. By 2023, a comprehensive administrative center will be built where citizens can "talk" with the online avatars of municipal officials and handle civil complaints and consultations. This virtual service hall is temporarily named "Metaverse 120 Center."

According to the plan, major tourist attractions in Seoul such as Gwanghwamun Square, Deoksugung Palace and Namdaemun Market will be presented in the "Virtual Tourism Special Zone", and disappeared historical sites will be reproduced online. In addition, from 2023, representative festivals of Seoul such as the Lantern Festival will also be held in the Metaverse to facilitate participation by people from all over the world.

On August 30, 2020, in Seoul, South Korea, there were few pedestrians and vehicles near Dongdaemun. ( Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Wang Jingqiang)

In recent years, the Metaverse has become a hot topic, especially since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, as more and more activities have moved online. Through immersive experiences such as augmented reality and virtual reality, users can interact with computer-generated environments and other people in the virtual reality space of the Metaverse to complete social, entertainment, office, and gaming activities.

Many technology companies have already laid out their plans for the Metaverse. On the 28th of last month, the American social media platform Facebook announced that it would change its name to "Meta", and that the company's future development would give priority to Metaverse-related businesses. (Chen Lixi)