SKT Dreaming of a 5G Content Kingdom, Expands Jump Studio and Targets Overseas Markets

A scene from the 'Volumetric Human' performance by Lia Kim, a leading K-pop choreographer, produced by Jump Studio. This performance will be released to fans worldwide starting on the 20th through the official YouTube channel of 1MILLION Dance Studio.

[Asia Economy Reporter Seulgina Cho] SK Telecom has set its sights on becoming the "5G Content Kingdom." The company is expanding and relocating its mixed reality (MR) production studio, "Jump Studio," which integrates immersive media technologies such as augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR), by 1.5 times. At the same time, it is accelerating the global expansion of its flagship service, "Jump AR·VR." Rather than exporting content to overseas companies on a one-off basis, SK Telecom plans to partner with global firms to launch the "Jump" brand in local markets.

"Jump Studio, the 5G Content Mecca"

On the morning of the 20th, SK Telecom announced through an online briefing that it would expand and relocate Jump Studio to its headquarters, T Tower, and actively expand its 5G mobile communication-based content business. At the briefing, Yoo Young-sang, head of SK Telecom’s MNO business, who appeared as a surprise 3D hologram, stated, "Jump Studio will become a content mecca not only in South Korea but across Asia," adding, "We will introduce various immersive media content in line with the era of non-face-to-face communication triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic."

Yu Young-sang, Head of SK Telecom's MNO Business, appeared as a 3D hologram in a virtual space during an online briefing on the morning of the 20th to present SK Telecom's 5G content business strategy.

Interior view of Jump Studio, the mixed reality production studio established by SK Telecom at its headquarters T Tower.

Jump Studio is SK Telecom’s strategic base for 5G content business that drastically reduces the time and cost of generating 3D holograms. Based on 3D video capture technology, 106 cameras shoot at 60 frames per second to create high-definition 3D holograms. In April this year, SK Telecom partnered with Microsoft (MS) to relocate Jump Studio, which was previously established in the SK Namsan Building, to T Tower, expanding its scale by 1.5 times.

The "Volumetric Human" performance by choreographer Lia Kim, unveiled to commemorate the relocation, was also completed within a week at Jump Studio. Lia Kim’s 3D hologram appeared in various forms in a virtual space, dancing together or appearing as a giant, capturing attention. SK Telecom explained, "The competitiveness of Jump Studio lies in time and cost reduction," adding, "The work time, which used to take months, is shortened to weeks, and costs are reduced to less than half."

Accelerating 5G Content Business with a Two-Track Strategy

SK Telecom is targeting the 5G content business with a two-track strategy led by Jump Studio: ▲ producing ultra-realistic content for companies in entertainment, advertising, sports, and education sectors, and ▲ providing the Jump AR·VR service (application) in global markets. First, the company plans to expand the business of custom-producing ultra-realistic content tailored to the demands of various companies such as those in entertainment. Recently, SK Telecom attracted attention by virtually presenting a 12-meter-tall "Giant" Choi Si-won at SM Entertainment’s online concert "Beyond Live."

Alongside this, SK Telecom is strengthening the content within the Jump AR·VR app to offer diverse services to users worldwide. The Jump AR·VR app, which allows users to summon cute AR animals and their favorite celebrities to take photos and videos together, is recently recognized as an optimized format for short-form user-generated content (UGC), especially popular among younger generations.

The first overseas launch country for the Jump AR·VR service is Hong Kong, which commercialized 5G this year. SK Telecom signed a business cooperation agreement with PCCW Group, Hong Kong’s top telecommunications company, focusing on ▲ local marketing cooperation for the Jump AR·VR service, ▲ joint production and investment in 5G content, and ▲ discovering new AR·VR business opportunities. SK Telecom stated, "The Jump brand will be launched in local markets as is, accompanied by marketing and content production investments," adding, "Next year, we plan to release a content production platform to further expand the AR·VR content ecosystem."

A virtual meetup that can accommodate up to 100 participants simultaneously

On the same day, SK Telecom also unveiled "Virtual Meetup," a social communication service where users can create their own avatars and hold meetings, performances, exhibitions, and other gatherings in virtual spaces with up to 100 simultaneous participants. Users who want non-face-to-face meetings can host gatherings and invite acquaintances without needing separate VR devices. The service will be available for free on the Jump VR app as early as this month.

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