"Walk Through Changdeokgung AR from the Other Side of the Globe" SKT Launches 'ChangdeokARirang at Home'

[Asia Economy Reporter Seulgina Cho] SK Telecom announced on the 27th that it will launch the ‘ChangdeokARirang at Home’ service, allowing people worldwide to enjoy various spots of the UNESCO World Heritage site ‘Changdeokgung’ from anywhere.

‘ChangdeokARirang at Home’ is an AR service available globally, following the ‘Changdeok ARirang’ application introduced in July by SK Telecom, Google, and the Cultural Heritage Administration for visitors to Changdeokgung. Customers who wish to use the service can download ‘ChangdeokARirang at Home’ for free from Google Play or One Store, regardless of their country.

Especially due to the impact of COVID-19, which has made visiting Korea difficult for foreigners and children living far from Changdeokgung, anyone can now tour Changdeokgung through the app regardless of geographic distance, significantly lowering cultural barriers.

The AR tour course includes a total of nine courses such as ▲Geumcheon Bridge ▲Injeongjeon Hall ▲Heejeongdang Hall ▲Buyongji Pond in the rear garden of Changdeokgung. When customers point their smartphones at their dining table or sofa table, the National Treasure No. 249 ‘Donggwoldo’ unfolds, and the legendary creature ‘Haechi’ appears. Haechi guides users through various parts of Changdeokgung in virtual reality while explaining their historical significance.

In line with the untact cultural viewing purpose, SK Telecom has opened areas previously restricted to visitors for cultural heritage preservation through this AR app. For example, visitors can look down at the ‘Buyongji’ area, the king’s secret garden, from the second floor of Juhamru in the rear garden, which was previously off-limits. Additionally, users can watch the royal court dance ‘Chunaengmu’ in augmented reality as if it were real. They can also take AR photos with the king and queen, enjoy AR archery, and AR kite flying.

Going forward, SK Telecom plans to expand the AR tour courses sequentially in cooperation with Google. Supported devices for the ‘ChangdeokARirang at Home’ service include Galaxy S9, Galaxy S10 5G, LG V50 5G, Galaxy Note 9, Galaxy Note10+, Galaxy Note 20, Galaxy S20 series, with plans for further expansion.

Ye Hee-gang, head of SK Telecom’s Brand Marketing Group, said, “It is meaningful to launch an ‘untact cultural viewing service’ that can promote Korea’s cultural heritage worldwide in the post-COVID era,” adding, “We plan to continue campaigns that contribute to society using 5G technology.” Meanwhile, Changdeokgung is currently operating with reduced visitor capacity to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.