Photo: Seoul Metropolitan Government

Early version of Seoul’s metaverse revealed

01 September 2022

by Sarah Wray

Seoul Metropolitan Government has released a beta version of its “virtual municipal world”, Metaverse Seoul.

Seoul was the first city to outline metaverse ambitions in November 2021 and in January this year said it would invest KRW 7 billion (US$5.2 million) in metaverse technologies as part of its digital transformation strategy. By 2026, the South Korean capital aims to have a metaverse environment for all administrative services, including economy, education, culture, and tourism.

The pilot will gather feedback from users to improve the experience and catch bugs before the official release of the first service phase scheduled for the end of November.

During the beta test period, selected users can access Metaverse Seoul using a personal avatar and experience what Seoul called “realistic virtual spaces” of Seoul City Hall and Seoul Plaza.

Seoul Learn students can also meet with their mentors for virtual consultations. The online platform was launched by the Seoul Metropolitan Government to bridge the education gap for underprivileged students.

“Metaverse is evolving into different forms based on technological levels and user demand. In particular, it is gaining traction as a new paradigm for post-COVID-19,” Park Jong-Soo, Director General of Seoul’s Smart City Policy Bureau, said last year.

He added: “The SMG will pioneer a new continent called the Metaverse Seoul where public demand and private technologies are combined. For all age groups to enjoy the benefits, we will work on the Metaverse Seoul and make Seoul a smart, inclusive city.”

Cities and the metaverse

Dubai and several Chinese cities have also announced metaverse plans but it’s unlikely to be a priority for most cities for now.

“You’re always going to get these outlier cities who want to be seen as leading edge, but many cities are just beginning to embrace social media, they have pretty bad websites,” Jonathan Reichental, former CIO for the City of Palo Alto and author of Smart Cities for Dummies, told Cities Today earlier this year. “As public agencies, we’re not always doing particularly well at some of the older tech, never mind looking at some of the newer tech.”

Reichental sees potential for the future, though: “The metaverse as an immersive virtual environment is extremely compelling and has a big role in our cities,” he said.

There is no universally agreed definition of the metaverse yet, but it is envisioned as the next evolution of the internet based on the integration of physical and digital experiences, bringing together technologies such as gaming engines, digital twins and virtual reality.

Believe the hype?

The concept has gained greater traction since Facebook rebranded itself as Meta last year and outlined plans to shift its focus to the metaverse.

Some believe the metaverse is just marketing hype but a report released earlier this year by the National League of Cities (NLC) urged local governments to engage early with emerging technologies and ideas.

Lena Geraghty, Director of Sustainability and Innovation at the NLC, told Cities Today: “The metaverse is definitely the new buzzword in a long list of emerging technology buzzwords, but that doesn’t mean it’s not worthwhile for city leaders to get familiar and comfortable about what it could mean for their communities.

“The metaverse has real potential to improve city services and the lives of residents if deployed well. For that to happen, city leaders need to be at the forefront of the conversation.”

The report highlighted potential use cases for cities such as providing new ways to access public services, virtual tours, advanced digital twins, and cultural events.

Geraghty said: “Emerging technologies will make their way into our cities whether or not city leaders are involved. If cities are proactive in the conversation, they will have the opportunity to avoid some of the potential risks and advocate for solutions that meet community needs.”

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