SKT Implements Jeju Deulbul Festival with AR Technology... Delivering Hope Amid COVID-19

Realistic Visuals with VR Devices
Customers Can Watch on Smartphones
Meaningful Challenge of Outdoor Nighttime Filming

[Asia Economy Reporter Minyoung Cha] The Jeju Fire Festival, a regional festival in Jeju, has been reborn through the integration of cutting-edge augmented reality (AR) technology.

SK Telecom announced that starting from the 17th, customers can watch the video of the Jeju Fire Festival's 'Saebyeol Oreum Fire Lighting' event held on the 13th for free through its JumpVR application, wishing for the overcoming of COVID-19.

Held every year to burn the entire Saebyeol Oreum in Jeju as a symbol of wishing for new year hopes and aspirations, the Jeju Fire Festival was conducted in a non-face-to-face manner this year to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The event was broadcast live on the 13th via KCTV Jeju Broadcasting and Jeju City's official YouTube channel.

Customers who have installed the SK Telecom JumpVR app can watch the Saebyeol Oreum fire lighting video regardless of their telecommunications provider. Even without a separate virtual reality (VR) device, viewers can enjoy the video by dragging the smartphone screen to adjust the viewing angle.

For the highest image quality during nighttime, SK Telecom maximized illumination performance and color depth using eight professional 360-degree cameras with 6K resolution. In particular, smooth-stitching technology was applied to combine footage from multiple cameras into a single seamless video, enhancing the sense of presence.

SK Telecom's Taepyeongmu AR technology summoned above Saebyeol Oreum expresses the wish to drive away old pests and COVID-19 germs through dance, alongside the blazing wildfires.

This attempt marks a technological advancement as mixed reality (MR) technology, which had mainly been used indoors for concerts, was applied to live broadcasts outdoors at night. It is expected to contribute to enhancing ESG (environment, society, corporate governance) values by revitalizing the local economy through mixed reality technology.

Meanwhile, SK Telecom partnered with Hanwha last September to sign a strategic cooperation agreement to exclusively provide mixed reality content for major domestic fireworks events hosted by Hanwha. Customers will be able to watch videos of famous domestic fireworks events such as the 'Seoul International Fireworks Festival with Hanwha' through SK Telecom's JumpVR and AR apps.

Jeon Jinsu, head of SKT MR Service CO (Company), said, "We hope that the passion and wishes of the Jeju Fire Festival site will be conveyed to many customers through SKT's mixed reality technology," adding, "We will continue to do our best to ensure that mixed reality technology contributes to creating ESG value across society."

Kim Kyungjoo, Hanwha Global Executive Director, said, "We utilized mixed reality technology to effectively deliver the message of hope and healing from this event to viewers who could not attend in person due to COVID-19," and added, "We will further enhance the vividness and content completeness of the fireworks festival by integrating information and communication technology (ICT)."

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