First Stage of Metaverse Seoul Launched

The Seoul Metropolitan Government has launched the Metaverse Seoul project, which will allow residents of the South Korean capital to access city services in a virtual environment.

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon announced the other day that the first phase of Metaverse Seoul has been launched after beta testing the project. The mayor also said that Metaverse Seoul will be a place of communication for the citizens of the capital, allowing them to virtually visit Seoul’s many attractions, access official documents, file some complaints and get answers to questions about the municipal tax return. City officials reportedly spent about 2 billion won, equivalent to $1.6 million, for the first phase of the metaverse project.

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon stated that the second phase will include making the Metaverse Seoul more accessible for senior citizens who have trouble getting to and from city offices in person. According to Statistica’s data, as of 2022, more than 17 percent of South Korea’s population consisted of citizens over the age of 65.

South Korea, which has one of the fastest internet connection speeds in the world, has spearheaded some initiatives related to metaverse and blockchain adoption as the industry continues to grow. The city of Busan had announced plans to set up a crypto exchange in collaboration with FTX before FTX’s collapse in November, but the local government subsequently abandoned most of its global centralized exchange partners.