‘Gungisi’, a government office in the Joseon Dynasty that was established at the same time as the founding of the nation and was in charge of manufacturing military supplies such as weapons, will be revived with AR (augmented reality) and VR (virtual reality) technologies. It has been about 100 years since it was demolished. Various royal ceremonies held at Gyeongbokgung Palace, the first royal palace of the Joseon Dynasty, are also reproduced in AR.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government, together with the Cultural Heritage Administration, Umi Construction, and Cheil Worldwide, announced that the now-defunct ‘Gungi City’ and ‘Gyeongbokgung Palace Rite’ will be restored and reproduced with digital technology such as AR and VR, and developed as cultural tourism convergence experience contents. It will be presented to the public next year.
This project is the restoration of digital cultural heritage following the 'Donuimun Gate' in 2019. The goal is to provide an experience that transcends time and space with convergence content that combines history, technology, and storytelling, and makes it a new model for historical tourism. .
First of all, ‘Gungi-si’ will restore the five remaining remains in the ‘Gungi-si Relics Exhibition Room’ under the Seoul City Hall. You can see the interior and exterior of the old Gungi city vividly with AR, and you can see the entire Gungi city with a VR device. Contents where you can experience traditional weapons developed in Gungi-si are also being planned, including the world's first rocket weapon, 'Shinjeon'.
‘Gyeongbokgung Royal Court Ceremony’ reproduces various royal events in AR, such as the meeting, where the king and major officials discussed the affairs of state affairs at Geunjeongjeon Hall of Gyeongbokgung Palace, and ‘Yeonhyang’, a royal feast. You will be able to experience the royal rites that were reproduced only on special occasions vividly on your smartphone at any time.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to expand the functions of the 'Donuimun AR' app, which was released in 2019 along with the digital restoration of Donuimun, so that you can experience all of Donuimun, Gungisi, and Gyeongbokgung royal ceremonies in one app.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to expand the contents to the government offices (Gungi-si) and palaces (Gyeongbokgung) following Seongmun (Donuimun), and to build a ‘heritage universe’ in which individual digital cultural heritages are connected and fused with integrated digital technology.
At 11 am on the 6th, at Heungbokjeon, Gyeongbokgung Palace, the Seoul Metropolitan Government signed an MOU for revitalization of cultural heritage and cultural tourism convergence contents in the presence of Jo In-dong, Seoul First Deputy Mayor, Kim Hyun-mo, President of the Cultural Heritage Administration, Bae Young-han, president of Woomi Construction, and Yoo Jeong-geun, president of Cheil Worldwide. conclude
Starting with this agreement, the four organizations plan to complete the project by the end of next year by sequentially carrying out historical verification work, digital content production, and installation of an experience space. According to the agreement, the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Cultural Heritage Administration are in charge of overall planning, publicity and administrative support. Umi Construction will support the cost of digital restoration and content development. Cheil Worldwide conducts business and supports public relations.
Meanwhile, four institutions, including the Seoul Metropolitan Government, have digitally restored the Donuimun Gate, which was forcibly demolished by the Japanese colonial government in 2019, using AR/VR technology for the first time in 104 years.
The city of Seoul filmed the entire 18.7km section of Hanyangdoseong, a key cultural heritage of Seoul, and produced VR contents with entertainment elements added. It is a content that allows you to enjoy the city of Hanyang along the fortress as if you were flying, and you can experience it from this month at the Donuimun Museum Village Experience Center (3rd floor).
“Through this agreement, we will continue to develop new types of experience and tourism resources that combine history, technology, and storytelling,” said Jo Indong, Seoul’s first deputy mayor of administration. We will do our best to promote it so that citizens can feel the breath of history in real life and have pride in Seoul's cultural heritage. I hope it will be an opportunity,” he said.