Winter Olympics Go Virtual! South Korea Leads the Way in Metaverse

While many countries are still hesitant to embrace the metaverse, South Korea is charging ahead and bringing even more sectors into the fold.

A Match Made in Virtual Reality

Remember Pyeongchang, the cool mountains where South Korea hosted the Winter Olympics in 2018? Well, in 2024, Pyeongchang is back, but not just in the real world, it’s also getting its own awesome virtual twin in the metaverse!

South Korea is all about pushing boundaries, and Gangwon-do province, the host of the Games, is no different. They’re using this as a chance to attract young people into the world of Web3. The International Olympic Committee and Meta are building a cool virtual world where you can experience the Games like never before.

This initiative, which also has the support of South Korea’s Ministry of Science, ICT and Communications (MSIT), is part of Gangwon-do’s metaverse project. They’re big believers in the metaverse and even made their own “MetaMOS Alliance” with a bunch of techy companies. Their goal? To become the coolest metaverse city ever and make sure everyone gets to experience the future of the Olympics).

Just like events in the metaverse, every user can also be directly involved in the event through a number of games, virtual sports, and interact with other users from all over the world.

But Pyeongchang is more than just Olympic action. This is Gangwon-do’s chance to show off its stunning scenery, too! You can virtually explore four of the province’s most beautiful tourist spots, all from the comfort of your couch. Talk about sightseeing without leaving your slippers!

From Zepeto to Global Aspirations

While the metaverse might feel like a futuristic blur in some parts of the world, South Korea is already buzzing with virtual life! But here’s the twist: some platforms haven’t quite taken off, while others like Naver’s Zepeto are hitting it big with over 200 million users, mostly teens and young adults. That’s like having the entire population of California hanging out in one virtual world!

Even platforms for smaller audiences like LG U Plus Corp’s Kidstopia are finding their niche, proving that the metaverse has something for everyone (even VR-loving). These platforms aren’t just for Koreans, they come with built-in language options like English, Spanish, and French.

Now, the International Olympic Committee and Gangwon-do Province are jumping on the bandwagon with their metaverse version of the 2024 Winter Olympics. Translation features in six languages? Check! Global ambitions? Double check! This could be the virtual event that throws open the metaverse doors for everyone!

Of course, it’s still early days. Only about 4% of South Koreans regularly use the metaverse, mostly kids and teens. But with big players like Naver and the Olympics stepping in, who knows how quickly things might change? Maybe soon, cheering on snowboarders from your VR living room won’t seem like such a futuristic fantasy after all!