Jinju-si, Province's First Metaverse Festival Draws Attention

The 12th Jinju Lifelong Learning Festival was held as a metaverse festival, with Jinju Mayor Cho Gyu-il delivering a greeting. / Photo by Jinju City

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Choi Soon-kyung] Jinju City, Gyeongnam Province, announced on the 15th that it held the “12th Jinju Lifelong Learning Festival” to share the passion for learning. This festival attracted attention as it was held in a metaverse space for the first time in the province.

The metaverse is a compound word of the English words meta, meaning “virtual” or “transcendence,” and universe, meaning “world” or “cosmos.” It features the ability to use avatars to engage in activities as if in real life within a three-dimensional virtual world.

The festival was organized with an official stage, exhibition, and experience booths, and featured various programs such as awards for citizens who contributed to lifelong education, presentations of lifelong learning institutions and club programs, an exhibition of outstanding works from the adult literacy poetry and painting contest, promotional experience booths of lifelong learning institutions and public organizations, and an SNS event called “Find Harmo” for visitors to the festival venue.

The official events and program presentations were broadcast live on Jinju City’s official YouTube channel, “Hamo Jinju.” Participants entered the metaverse festival venue with their avatars, watched performances and program presentations, and enjoyed the festival by applying for experiences via QR codes.

At the festival, three citizens were awarded for their contributions to lifelong education, and four winners of the adult literacy poetry and painting contest received prizes. In the club program presentation, the Comprehensive Social Welfare Center’s folk song team won the grand prize, Jinju National University of Education Lifelong Education Center’s accordion class won the excellence award, Kumho Traditional Arts Promotion Institute won the encouragement award, and Banya Dance Company received the passion award.

Jinju Mayor Jo Gyu-il said, “I hope this festival will help many citizens renew their awareness of the metaverse, even if just a little. Going forward, Jinju City will strive to go beyond the image of a traditional educational city and become a true lifelong learning city where all citizens can learn and share appropriately throughout their life cycle.”

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