Experts and Companies United Toward Gyeongbuk, the "Metaverse Capital"

Metaverse Digital Vision Proclamation at Gyeongbuk Provincial Office on 24th

First Local Government Alliance with Big Tech, Startups, and ICT Established

Conceptual Diagram of the Metaverse Alliance.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Gui-yeol] Gyeongbuk has formed an alliance aiming to become the Metaverse Capital. Gyeongbuk Province, companies, and private metaverse experts have joined hands to officially launch the capital development project.

On the 24th, Gyeongbuk Province announced at the provincial office the launch of the Metaverse Gyeongbuk Policy Advisory Group and the Metaverse Capital Gyeongbuk Vision Declaration Ceremony using a new digital method that merges the metaverse and reality.

This is the first time a local government has launched a metaverse-related policy advisory group and established a corporate alliance.

The declaration ceremony was attended by Lee Cheol-woo, Governor of Gyeongbuk Province; Ko Woo-hyun, Chairman of the Gyeongbuk Provincial Council; and Choi Seong-gwang, Co-Chairman of the Public-Private Joint Metaverse Gyeongbuk Promotion Committee. Many experts including representatives from metaverse companies, startups, ICT companies, national metaverse research institutes, and professors from metropolitan and regional universities also participated.

Notably, representatives from global big tech companies leading the metaverse such as Google, Microsoft, Naver, and Amazon attended the event.

The event proceeded with the introduction of virtual characters reflecting the physical appearance of policy advisory committee members in the metaverse space, the announcement of the basic plan for achieving a population of 10 million in the metaverse capital Gyeongbuk by 2026, and a performance to leap forward as the ‘Metaverse Capital Gyeongbuk’ by establishing digital networks with major capitals worldwide in virtual space.

The Metaverse Gyeongbuk Policy Advisory Group consists of over 40 experts including researchers and CEOs from various fields. The advisory group will serve as the brain for the creation of the metaverse capital Gyeongbuk by planning and discovering metaverse strategic tasks, sharing industry technology trends, and supporting research.

Additionally, more than 50 companies within Gyeongbuk Province have joined the Metaverse Alliance.

The alliance operates as a public-private cooperation system for the development of the metaverse industrial ecosystem, centered on metaverse and ICT companies. About 40 universities, including the Immersive Media Innovation Shared University Project Group, also participate in the alliance.

Choi Seong-gwang, Co-Chairman of the Public-Private Joint Metaverse Gyeongbuk Promotion Committee, is the CEO of VR Crew, a technology-based startup developing digital AR/VR content and core technologies. In 2019, he was the first individual ever to receive the Minister of Science and ICT Award at the Mobile Technology Awards hosted by the Ministry of Science and ICT.

On the morning of the event, Chairman Choi gave a special lecture at the provincial office titled ‘Region-Based Metaverse and Its Utility,’ emphasizing that “It is most important for Gyeongbuk Province to be the first to implement and secure a lead in the digital twin-based metaverse that global companies are talking about.”

Governor Lee Cheol-woo said, “In the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the metaverse will not be a temporary storm but a mission of the times. We will prepare faster than anyone else and lead the great transformation of local governments through the metaverse.”

On the 7th, Gyeongbuk Province announced 20 key tasks across four major areas under the goal of ‘Back to the Center of Korea, Metaverse Capital Gyeongbuk,’ including metaverse talent cultivation, metaverse industry promotion, activation of metaverse cultural tourism, and creation of metaverse specialized service zones.

In the first half of this year, a National Assembly seminar for the creation of the metaverse capital Gyeongbuk will be held, followed by events such as a metaverse forum, idea contests, and developer competitions in the second half.

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