Visitors try out some virtual reality goggles at a booth at the Government 3.0 Expo held on June 20. The Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning announced on Aug. 4 that it would build VR facilities for the tourism and entertainment industries, with aid from the central government.
The market for virtual reality (VR) will soon be substantially expanded.
The Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning announced on Aug. 4 that it would select and support five consortiums to build online and offline VR facilities for the tourism and entertainment industries, focusing on games and videos.
The ministry is planning to spend KRW 8 billion on the project, with KRW 3.78 billion of that coming from central government coffers.
In regard to VR for the tourism industry, two consortiums were selected to build “experience centers” at tourist locations that are popular among both Korean and non-Korean tourists.
The experience centers will be built on Jeju Island and in Sangam, a neighborhood in Seoul, giving visitors an opportunity to experience the beautiful scenery of the island and to sightsee around cultural properties in Seoul. Visitors will also be able to virtually walk around some famous tourist attractions alongside images of their favorite K-pop star, and enjoy Korean pop music and soap operas at the centers, one each planned for Dongdaemun, Gwanghwamun and Suwon.
Three consortiums were selected to work on VR centers for the entertainment industry. The experience centers will be built in Seoul and Daegu, providing vivid experiences to visitors with VR content based on “Mr. Lighting,” a popular character on an Educational Broadcasting System (EBS) TV show. A commercial service center will also open in Daegu.
In its announcement, the ministry said that, “We will do our best to continue to explore and support potential VR content in order to create more jobs.”
By Yoon Jihye
Korea.net Staff Writer
Photo: Jeon Han, Korea.net Staff Photographer
wisdom117@korea.kr
