The Seoul city government has officially announced the launch of “Metaverse Seoul,” as reported by correspondents in South Korea.
“Metaverse Seoul” is a public virtual universe platform developed by the Seoul city government, making it the first city in the world to implement such a service.
The rollout plan for the “Metaverse Seoul” service consists of three phases: introduction and promotion (2022), expansion (2023 – 2024), and implementation (2025 – 2026), with the goal of creating a platform that manages all city administration services.
This service can be easily downloaded from the Google Play Store and Apple App Store. (Photo: Getty Images).
According to the Seoul city government, the initial phase of the “Metaverse Seoul” service will be implemented in five areas: economy, education, taxation, administration, and information exchange. Through these five services, Seoul aims to realize its core values of freedom, partnership, and connectivity.
On the “Metaverse Seoul” platform, users can read e-books published by the Seoul city government and view information about policies promoted by the government through promotional videos displayed on the outer wall of the Seoul Library in Jung District.
This platform will also offer mini-games for each season, such as cherry blossom picking in spring, pool games in summer, firefly catching in autumn, and wish-making games in winter. Furthermore, the office of the Mayor of Seoul will be recreated in virtual reality, where citizens can propose ideas and receive feedback on city policies.
Through “Metaverse Seoul,” users can also apply for seven types of administrative documents, including copies of identification cards or engage in online chatrooms for civil issues and consultations for youth. The Seoul city government stated that to ensure information security, users can only check their records through the “Seoul Wallet” app, which is developed on blockchain technology. Residents of Seoul will also have access to tax-related consultation services, such as calculating vehicle tax, property tax, and income tax through the Metaverse Seoul platform. Additionally, this platform will provide private consultation rooms for individuals and a meeting room accommodating up to 100 participants, where anyone can chat, call, and share documents with others.
Metaverse Seoul also offers chat translation services to facilitate communication with foreigners. At the business support center, companies can hold high-quality remote consultations with experts in management, startups, law, or human resources via chat, voice messages, video calls, and screen sharing. With this platform, users can also virtually visit the ten most famous tourist attractions in Seoul without the barriers of time and space, including the Blue House, Lotte Tower, Namsan Seoul Tower, Deoksu Palace, Gyeongbok Palace, Bukchon Hanok Village, Dongdaemun Design Plaza, Seoul Forest Park, and the night view of the Han River.
