Seoul is stepping into the metaverse as the world’s first city government. Here’s how the South Korean city will soon immerse online.
Seoul steps into the Metaverse
On November 3, the capital city of South Korea announced its plan of making public services and cultural events accessible through the metaverse. Once successful, residents of the city can visit their virtual city hall for all their needs. From touring historic sites to filing civil complaints, everything will be easier. This new upgrade is a part of Mayou Oh Se-hoon’s ten-year plan for Seoul.
Having the city in the metaverse will increase social mobility for citizens and increase the city’s competition. Additionally, the movie is also tapping into Digital New Deal, the nation’s plan for embracing AI and digital tools. The nationwide plan will improve healthcare, economy, and infrastructure and help in recovering from the pandemic.
How will this work?
According to the official statement, Seoul’s metropolitan government is planning to develop its own platform on the metaverse by 2022. It will be completely operational by 2026 and host various public functions. It includes a virtual city mayor’s office, spaces for the business sector, a public investment organization, and a fintech incubator. The new platform is kicking on with a ‘virtual new year’s bell-ringing ceremony’ in December. Additionally, the city also plans on opening “Metaverse 120 Center”.
Metaverse 120 center is a place for virtual public services where avatars can handle concerns brought up by the cities. So, instead of personally going to the city hall, you just need to wear your VR goggles. The South Korean capital will also be using AI for monitoring wastewater centers and sewers. While the fine details are not out, city officials emphasize that they wish to widen the public services to everyone.