SKT 'Ifland' Expands to 49 Countries Including North America and Europe

Support for English, Traditional and Simplified Chinese, and Japanese
Simultaneous release of Android and iOS apps
Partnerships with major carriers by continent, expanding the metaverse world

SK Telecom announced on the 23rd that it will simultaneously launch its metaverse platform Ifland in 49 countries across North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. Photo by SKT

[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Su-yeon] SK Telecom announced on the 23rd that it will simultaneously launch its metaverse platform ifland in 49 countries across North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.

The global version of ifland supports English, Chinese (Traditional and Simplified), and Japanese, and will be released simultaneously on Android and iOS. SKT will introduce the global service by providing integrated domestic and international services through the existing app. ifland emphasizes a differentiated metaverse communication experience with the slogan "The New Way of Socializing" in the global market.

SKT aims for effective global expansion through partnerships with major telecom operators by continent. For the Middle East, e& was selected as the ifland global expansion partner, and for Southeast Asia, Singtel was chosen. In addition, SKT is continuously negotiating partnerships with various other overseas telecom operators.

After the global launch of ifland, SKT plans to develop specialized features targeting each region together with its partners. It is also promoting various metaverse events and business collaborations in each overseas region, such as co-producing popular local content, presenting new possibilities for telecom operators. On the 18th, SKT signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for ICT business cooperation with Japan’s leading mobile carrier NTT Docomo, agreeing to collaborate in content, technology, and service areas to advance their metaverse services.

SKT will also partner with various global partners such as overseas universities and global brands to provide content targeting the global MZ generation (Millennials and Generation Z). SKT signed a tripartite global metaverse campus MOU with Bansomdejchaopraya Rajabhat University (BSRU) in Bangkok, Thailand, and Dong-Ah Institute of Media and Arts, which has introduced various programs including 'Tintin Audition' on ifland.

SKT plans to support overcoming geographical barriers through ifland by enabling BSRU and Dong-Ah Institute of Media and Arts to mutually support lectures in Korean, Thai, and English. Partnering with Danish fashion company Birger Christensen, which has over 150 years of history, SKT plans to produce key party outfits as ifland costumes to allow the global MZ generation to express their individuality within the year.

Ifland Global Version. Photo by SKT

Updates to key features have also been made. First, a global lounge and avatars with various skin tones were introduced to help overseas users new to the metaverse easily experience it. To enhance communication between meeting organizers and participants, a ‘1:1 direct message (DM)’ feature and a ‘3D speech bubble’ function above avatars were applied. Additionally, a ‘real-time voting’ feature was newly added to check participants’ opinions in real time, and the ‘ifme motion sharing’ feature allows users to apply their facial expressions to avatars for communication.

To commemorate the global launch of ifland, SKT will present various K-pop live content weekly. The original metaverse K-POP content ‘The Fan Live Talk On’ will be conducted over 50% in English targeting overseas K-pop fans, and various K-pop live content such as global auditions for K-pop trainees and nurturing global rookie idols will be operated for overseas fans to enjoy.

SKT also plans to hold events within the year through ifland’s SNS channels, delivering various goods and products of performing artists to overseas users who participate in ifland K-pop content meetups.

Meanwhile, based on differentiated content such as metaverse original content, ifland surpassed 12.8 million cumulative users as of the third quarter, growing more than fourfold from 3 million at the beginning of the year. Yang Maeng-seok, head of SKT’s Metaverse CO, said, “ifland, launched last July, has grown into the nation’s top social network metaverse, loved by a wide range of age groups and various organizations,” adding, “We will demonstrate the strength of K-Metaverse on the global stage including Europe, the U.S., the Middle East, and East Asia beyond Korea.”

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