The Metaverse Could be a Game Changer on the Korean Peninsula

 

*The metaverse could be a game changer for peace on the Korean Peninsula. ⓒiStock

 

Il Young Jeong

Research Professor_Institute of Social Sciences_Sogang University

The concept of the “metaverse” first appeared in the 1992 science-fiction novel Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson. The word ‘metaverse’ is a combination of "meta" (meaning to transcend) and "universe”. The metaverse refers to a third dimension digital, virtual space that replicates the politics, economy, society and culture already existing in our reality and gives people the opportunity to experience things they otherwise could not in ‘real life’.

In this article, I would like to explore the possibility of and options for a metaverse on the Korean Peninsula as an inter-Korean digital border zone for exchange and cooperation.

 

The dream of a metaverse on the Korean Peninsula

 

The metaverse, first conceived of as an imaginary world in the 1990s, has since reappeared before us in the 2020s. With the COVID-19 pandemic moving us into a non-face-to-face environment, XR (Extended Reality) technology has combined with 3D space to become a new ‘space’ in our lives.

The future embodied by sci-fi films and animated works like "Ready Player One" and “Sword Art Online" is slowly drawing closer. Global investment bank Morgan Stanley predicted that metaverse will replace next-generation social media, streaming, and game platforms to form a global market worth up to $8 trillion USD.

As such, discussions in South Korea on the possibility of a metaverse on the Korean Peninsula are gradually expanding. Recently, the Ministry of Unification implemented a DMZ metaverse platform (called “DMZ Universe”) and opened it to the general public. On the academic front, Kwangwoon University established the Korea Peninsula Metaverse Research Institute. In both policy and research, the idea of a Korean metaverse is gaining traction.

Under the combined weight of the international sanctions regime against North Korea and the global COVID-19 pandemic, the pause in Inter-Korean relations continues to stretch on. As such, the metaverse concept is attracting attention as a new boundary space for inter-Korean relations. The metaverse’s appeal lies in the infinite nature of digital space, which is not restrained by territorial and physical limitations.

Not only can the digital space of the metaverse facilitate inter-Korean dialogue, but it would also be valuable as a space for reunification education. The metaverse could facilitate economic cooperation between Korean enterprises, as well as the production, performance, and consumption of cultural goods between the two Koreas. In addition, the metaverse allows its participants to overcome the restrictions of their home countries and would transport North and South Koreans, overseas Koreans, and global citizens to another world where they can experience a unified Korean Peninsula.

 

What do we need to prepare?

What do we need to prepare to realize a metaverse on the Korean Peninsula? First, we could use a Korean Peninsula digital platform as an intermediate stage as we work towards a fully realized metaverse on the Korean Peninsula.

Given the reality of the two Koreas, specifically the fact that the authorities in both Koreas still exercise exclusive control over inter-Korean exchange and cooperation, as well as the technological gap between the two Koreas, we need to first build a digital platform as an intermediate step towards a metaverse. We could initially promote using the digital platform foremost for virtual meetings between the two Korean governments, video reunions for separated families, etc. and later develop the platform into a space for cultural exchange and economic cooperation as the necessary conditions are met.

Second, it will be important to prepare a legal environment in which the two Koreas can conduct exchange and work together in a virtual space like the metaverse. In the current situation where inter-Korean relations are cut off, we need to first overhaul South Korea's legal system and, as the inter-Korean relationship progresses, strengthen the interconnectedness of the two Koreas’ legal systems.

It is particularly important to reorganize our legislative system to guarantee and institutionally support various forms of exchanges and cooperation conducted in digital space. With this in mind, we should promote revisions to the ‘Inter-Korean Exchange and Cooperation Act’ and the ‘National Security Law’.

Finally, our experience with inter-Korean relations so far demonstrates that a metaverse without North Korean participation is nothing more than an illusion. This begs the important question of even if we do build a digital space for inter-Korean cooperation, will North Korea take part?

North Korea has recently emphasized the "industrial revolution of the new century" and is working to foster the engineering personnel. Also, the shift to computerized numerical control (CNC) needed for a high-tech industry, as well as pushing for the development of AI, AR, and artificial intelligence technologies, as well as promoting development of artificial intelligence technology like AI and AR.

North Korea's information and communication technology and IT infrastructure are generally considered to be sufficient for virtually conducting inter-Korean exchange. Between the growing use of video conferences in North Korea’s state institutions and a remote education system centered on Kimchaek University, the North appears to be adapting to the new non-face-to-face environment. With inter-Korean relations thoroughly stuck, the metaverse could be an instance where we have a chance at North Korea responding positively.

 

Could the metaverse be a game changer on the Korean Peninsula?

The technology needed to actually implement the metaverse have been evolving and progressing at a rapid pace. The era of inter-Korean exchange and cooperation characterized by state monopolies and the physical, territory elements of unification is facing a transition point. With the reality of unification getting ever farther away, the metaverse could be a game changer on the peninsula by making unification possible in a new space.

Inter-Korean relations are often dismissed as a political issue. This perception could potentially limit discussions about a metaverse on the Korean Peninsula. Despite this, the South Korean government, National Assembly, and academic circles should pay a little more attention to discussions and research related to the metaverse.

Unification of the Korean Peninsula is increasingly being written off as something for the distant future. Public fatigue with unification discussions is manifesting itself as expressions of support for peaceful coexistence, not unification. Now, what we need is a change in mindset. Let's imagine a completely different level of unification as enabled by a new space: the metaverse.

 

*IL-Young Jeong is a research professor at Sogang University in Seoul. His key research interests include North Korea's social control system, inter-Korean relations, and peace on the Korean Peninsula.

*This article is a column published in OhmyNews. http://omn.kr/20ci2