Gongju World Metaverse Easily Enjoyed by Seniors

Gongju City Promotes Metaverse Experience at 45 Senior Centers
327 Seniors Participate in Virtual World Showcasing World Heritage Sites and Festivals

Gongju City is promoting the metaverse Gongju World to senior centers within the jurisdiction. Photo by Gongju City Hall

On July 31, Gongju City in South Chungcheong Province announced that it is carrying out promotional activities centered on local senior centers to encourage the use of the metaverse platform "Gongju World," which is designed to be easily accessible for senior citizens.

"Gongju World" is a digital experience space linked to the "Onnuri Gongju System," which has 240,000 registered members. Any citizen registered as an Onnuri Gongju Citizen can use the platform freely.

The platform offers a variety of content, including personal space decoration, a city administration promotional hall, virtual experiences of UNESCO World Heritage sites and major tourist attractions in Gongju, introductions to 5 Provinces 2 Villages communities, and a metaverse academy.

In particular, users can vividly enjoy Gongju’s signature festivals and historical sites, such as the Baekje Cultural Festival and the Seokjangni Paleolithic Festival, in a virtual space.

Following promotional activities targeting teenagers in the first half of this year, the city recently promoted "Gongju World" to 327 senior citizens at 45 senior centers by utilizing the real-time broadcasting system "Smart Senior Center" of the Gongju City Senior Welfare Center.

Yeom Seongbun, head of the Public Relations Media Office, stated, "We hope this promotion will serve as an opportunity not only for a simple technology experience but also to foster intergenerational communication and bridge the digital divide," adding, "We will continue to develop Gongju World as an inclusive digital space that can be enjoyed by all age groups."

Meanwhile, "Onnuri Gongju Citizen" is a citizen participation program that grants Gongju citizenship simply by online registration without the need to change one’s address. Participants can enjoy various benefits such as discounts at affiliated stores, participation in Baekje cultural tours, and access to city administration and tourism information.