"Metaverse, What Ethical Principles Are Needed? Ministry of Science and ICT Hosts Discussion"

Introduction and Discussion of 3 Core Values and 8 Action Principles

The Ministry of Science and ICT held the 'Metaverse Ethics Principles Forum' on the afternoon of the 26th at the seminar room of HJBC Gwanghwamun branch in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Officials attending the forum. Photo by Ministry of Science and ICT

[Asia Economy Reporter Minyoung Cha] The Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) announced on the 26th that it held a joint forum of the 'Metaverse Economy Activation Public-Private TF' and the 'Metaverse Alliance Ethics System Subcommittee,' which include central government ministries and private experts related to the extended virtual world (Metaverse).

Seventeen committee members from government ministries including MSIT, the Korea Communications Commission, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the National Police Agency, as well as industry, legal circles, academia, and metaverse-related organizations attended the forum to discuss the draft of the 'Metaverse Ethics Principles' proposed by the Korea Information Society Development Institute (KISDI).

The draft of the Metaverse Ethics Principles contains three core aspirational values that ecosystem participants should aim for during development, operation, and use to support the creative capabilities of social members and contribute to innovation in the digital economy society: authentic self, safe enjoyment, and sustainable prosperity.

Additionally, to practice these three core values, the draft includes eight practical principles to serve as standards for decision-making and behavior: sincerity, autonomy, reciprocity, respect for privacy, fairness, data protection, inclusiveness, and responsibility.

Aram Moon, a KISDI research fellow who led the study on the Metaverse Ethics Principles, presented at the forum, explaining, "The draft of the Metaverse Ethics Principles focuses on the unique characteristics of the metaverse such as virtual self, immersive experience, and economic system, considering distinctions from existing ICT ethics norms, and aims to propose universal yet actionable principles that can serve as standards for the autonomous efforts of social members."

Professor Seungmin Lee of Sungkyunkwan University, chair of the Metaverse Alliance Ethics System Subcommittee who presided over the meeting, emphasized, "If we establish Metaverse Ethics Principles, they should be norms that developers, platform service providers, and service users within the metaverse ecosystem can empathize with and utilize."

Huwon Seok, Software Policy Officer at MSIT, stated, "We will widely collect opinions from related ministries, experts, industry, and civic groups to ensure that the Metaverse Ethics Principles can be utilized in actual industrial fields such as educational materials in schools and community guidelines of metaverse companies, and finalize the draft by the end of the year."