[2020 National Audit] Why Did 'AR Glasses' Appear at the Audit Hearing?

Rep. Park Sung-joong Demonstrates AR Glasses, Emphasizes Need for Investment
Directly Showcases YouTube and KakaoTalk Usage
Price One-Twentieth of Last Year's 'HoloLens'

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] AR glasses appeared at the Ministry of Science and ICT's National Assembly audit session.

On the 22nd, during the comprehensive audit by the National Assembly's Science, ICT, Broadcasting and Communications Committee, Park Seong-jung, a member of the People Power Party, wore LG Uplus's AR glasses called 'U+ Real Glass' and connected it to a screen for a live demonstration. A scene from the movie Kingsman, where AR glasses are worn and virtual avatars participate in a meeting, was also broadcast at the audit session. This product was released by LG Uplus last August and developed by Enreal, a Chinese AR specialist company.

After putting on the U+ Real Glass, Park connected the device's displayed screen to the audit session monitor and demonstrated it live. He said, "You can turn this on, move the screen position, and enlarge it up to 100 inches. You can watch it freely in a car or at home. You can also run YouTube or KakaoTalk. Since this device changes reality and the world, it deserves a lot of attention."

Park introduced, "Last year, Microsoft’s HoloLens, which I brought, is sold online for 6 million won, but the product I brought this time is priced at around 690,000 won, and with carrier promotions, it can be purchased for around 300,000 won, which is one-twentieth of the price." Regarding this, Committee Chair Lee Won-wook said, "The price has dropped to around 300,000 won, so it would be nice if Park could gift one to each member of the Science and ICT Committee," adding, "If you also gift it to the audited institutions, it would greatly help support technological development."

Demonstration scene of LG Uplus's AR glasses 'U+ Real Glasses'

Last year, Park also brought Microsoft’s AR headset 'HoloLens' to the audit and argued for the need to foster the AR·VR industry and talent. Park pointed out, "The movie Minority Report is already 30 years ahead of reality. At last year’s audit, I urged that AR and VR content were insufficient, but no part has been resolved."

Park stated, "The domestic AR and VR market size is expected to be 4 trillion won this year and 8 trillion won next year. Overseas, private investment ranges from 4 to 6 trillion won, but ours is only 500 to 600 billion won. Active investment is not being made."

In response, Choi Ki-young, Minister of Science and ICT, said, "We have established a strategy to activate 5G-based immersive content, and AR and VR projects are included in the Digital New Deal. The government has built a 3D immersive content studio in Sangam, and since this is an important field, we will work hard to promote it."

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