Metaverse Trends Blurring the Boundaries Between Virtual and Reality at the Youth Expo
The 17th Korea Youth Expo this year is attracting attention by showcasing a 3D exhibition hall where visitors can enjoy a virtual world, as well as the Zepeto virtual world operated by Naver Z.
Through the 3D game-style virtual exhibition hall, visitors can view youth policies of participating organizations and groups. The Hanbit Tower, Expo Bridge, and Kumdori sculptures, symbols of Daejeon Metropolitan City, can also be experienced in the virtual space. Participating organizations in the 3D exhibition hall include the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family as the host, Daejeon Metropolitan City, Korea Youth Activity Promotion Agency, Daejeon Youth Activity Promotion Center, the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, National Youth Training Center, KDI & Economic Education Association, and the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety.
Additionally, this year’s Youth Expo features the Zepeto virtual world, which applies metaverse technology that incorporates AI facial analysis and modeling technology into avatars. The Zepeto virtual world, utilizing metaverse technology, is a technology combining AR and VR services in a virtual environment, offering various services and new forms of consumption and marketing activities in the new era. The term Metaverse is a compound of Meta (processed, abstract) + Universe (world), meaning a three-dimensional virtual world.
This program aims to encourage active meetings and activities among youth who have been withdrawn in a society transitioning to untact due to COVID-19. To this end, about 10 youth-related organizations participating in this program are designing dedicated maps tailored to their characteristics through Build it provided by Naver Z, and are planning enjoyable activities (jump maps, racing, making friends, taking certification photos) within the metaverse virtual world.
Furthermore, the Korea Youth Activity Promotion Agency plans to recreate five national training centers, which have had difficulty operating due to COVID-19, through dedicated maps to enable unrestricted activities and interactions in an open space, and will carry out various activities and events within them. Seocho Youth Center also announced that it will transform programs currently operated in the real world, such as the youth operation committee, into the virtual world, creating an opportunity to blur the boundaries between the virtual and real worlds.
In addition, the expo features the ongoing environmental campaign “Let’s Plogging” practice hall, an exhibition hall where youth contest entries can be viewed, and a prize event offering gifts to 3,000 participants.
Meanwhile, the 17th Korea Youth Expo is scheduled to be held online from May 27 to 29 under the theme “GREEN Korea Drawn by Youth.”
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