Key takeaways:
- Metaverse Seoul has been set up for the public, allowing users to access engaging public services and resources.
- The initial focus of the three-part Metaverse Seoul project is to improve the efficiency of government services.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government in South Korea revealed this past Monday that the people of the nation’s capital can now access its Metaverse platform for interactions with the public sector.
Oh Se-hoon, the mayor of Seoul, declared that the top ten tourist attractions in Seoul, including Gyeongbokgung Palace, Bukchon Hanok Village, Dongdaemun Design Plaza, Seoul Forest Park, Han River, and Lotte Tower, would comprise the services made available to the general public by Metaverse Seoul.
Approximately 2 billion won ($1.6 million) for the first phase of the metaverse project was reportedly spent by the city administration. Oh claims that the second phase will focus on facilitating older residents’ access to Metaverse Seoul, as they might have difficulty physically travelling to city offices.
This has been planned with the understanding that more than 17% of South Korea’s population was over 65 as of 2022.
Plans to establish “Metaverse Seoul” were initially made public by the Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG) in November of 2021. According to reports, SMG is the first significant local administration to present such a plan, and it is anticipated that other cities would join.
There have been discussions on how Seoul residents will be able to access a virtual city hall and perform tasks like taking a tour of a heritage landmark or lodging a legal complaint using virtual reality goggles.
Se-hoon thinks that in the new normal, Metaverse Seoul will be a crucial instrument for citizens to communicate. It is an all-inclusive institutional facility that anyone can use without regard for time or space constraints.
Additionally, Companies can engage in remote counselling sessions with specialists in a business support centre using the chat, voice, video, and screen-sharing tools. Teenagers and adolescents will have access to mentoring and educational support through an avatar-based counselling service.
Increasing the efficiency of public administration services is the first objective of the three-part Metaverse Seoul project, which must be completed by 2026.The services will be expanded in the second stage, which is expected to start in 2024, to include real estate advising and connecting foreign investors with local enterprises.
Metaverse Seoul is now extensively accessible via Google Play and the Apple App Store.
The road to the full-fledged Metaverse service provided by Seoul Metropolitan Government is extensive. The regional government is making a sizable financial investment in a platform for interactive and holistic public service.
