Our Culture Meets in the Metaverse... 'Biwon, Jeongjo's Walking Path' Newly Opened

- Lives of Joseon Kings (K-Kings) Met in Zepeto World
- Expanded Map up to Injeongjeon, New Entities, and Various Event Programs Available

The newly opened "Biwon, Jeongjo's Walking Path" (hereafter "Biwon") allows you to experience the beautiful Biwon of Changdeokgung Palace and traditional lifestyle culture through the metaverse.

"Biwon" is a metaverse project hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (Minister Park Bo-gyun) and organized by the Korea Craft & Design Foundation (hereafter KCDF, President Jang Dong-kwang). It was created to widely promote and provide opportunities to experience Korea's unique traditional lifestyle culture beyond time and space. "Biwon" is currently available on Naver Z's "ZEPETO" platform.

Refurbished around the keyword "K-Kings," "Biwon" is a metaverse world where the kings of Joseon and the younger generation aspiring to be kings meet. KCDF first opened the "Changdeokgung Rear Garden" map last year and expanded the map to include Injeongjeon Hall this year. Additionally, various contents and events have been added to enrich the experience.

In "Biwon," which realistically recreates the Changdeokgung Rear Garden and Injeongjeon Hall, users can experience the king's daily life and state ceremonies. Moreover, they can enjoy a variety of sights and activities where traditional and modern cultures harmoniously blend.

The newly updated attractions include architecture and landscaping. First, buildings that were previously only visible as backgrounds in the world are now fully realized inside, allowing visitors to closely explore the spaces where the king lived. Users can also participate directly in the king's procession. The natural scenery changing with the four seasons is another new attraction added in this update to "Biwon."

At the photo zones, various backgrounds and props combining traditional and modern cultures are provided. Users can take special commemorative photos holding a fan in front of Injeongjeon Hall, and a shield kite and lantern in front of Buyongjeong Pavilion.

The range of activities has also expanded. In July, a "Swing Jumping" event will be held where rankings are determined by the distance jumped. Seasonal events considering occasions such as Chuseok and Lunar New Year will be held monthly thereafter. Mountable rides have also been enhanced. Users can ride the existing rabbit and turtle mounts to view clouds or the Dragon Palace, and newly added "Naru boats" allow travel along the river.

New K-fashion content is also available. "K-Fashion Fitting Rooms" have been installed in the Changdeokgung world and the front yard of Heejeongdang Hall, where users can purchase K-fashion items. Users can enjoy a unique experience by wearing K-fashion that blends traditional and modern clothing while roaming the world.

Kim Tae-wan, Head of the Traditional Lifestyle Culture Division at KCDF, said, "'Biwon' is a metaverse world planned to reinterpret traditional culture in a modern way so that the younger generation can resonate with our culture. We will continue to develop diverse content to help young people feel familiar with our traditional lifestyle culture through 'Biwon.'" He added, "'Biwon' is not only a space that recreates the history and culture of Changdeokgung Rear Garden and Injeongjeon Hall but also a place where users can create and share content themselves. We will encourage users' voluntary participation and creativity by enabling them to direct role plays, dramas, music videos, reels, and more."

KCDF plans to continuously add and update new content to increase user satisfaction with "Biwon." They also intend to provide various cultural experiences related to "Biwon" by linking with offline events. Starting with the Changdeokgung introduced in this update, Gyeongbokgung and Deoksugung Palaces will be opened sequentially, offering opportunities to meet and enjoy Korea's diverse palaces and traditional lifestyle culture in the metaverse.