From K-pop stages to drama sets... a virtual Hallyu theme park where anyone can become a star The popular K-pop group "ITZY is to join as an ambassador to communicate with fans SEOUL, South Korea, Oct. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ --The Korean Foundation for International Cultural Exchange (President JUNG Kilhwa, hereafter referred to as "KOFICE"), together with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (Minister PARK Bo Gyoon, hereafter referred to as "MCST"), will unveil the world map of "K-Wonderland", a Hallyu theme park metaverse, on the global metaverse platform ZEPETO on the 14th (Friday). "K-Wonderland" consists of spaces for Hallyu experiences and creations enjoyed on the metaverse platform that transcends the boundaries online and offline. With the theme of "Hallyu theme park where anyone can become a Hallyu star 24/7", K-Wonderland will offer a variety of opportunities to experience the Hallyu culture using the latest digital technology to people all over the world. K-Wonderland consists of four main spaces with themes, such as K-Pop and Hallyu dramas. The spaces include "K-Wonder Castle," a space to welcome users, "K-Wonder Hall," which provides information on Hallyu events and introduces K-Wonderland, "K-Pop Stage" where anyone can experience becoming a K-Pop star on the music broadcasting stage reproduced as the actual one, and "K-Drama Studio", a space where users can freely create UGC(User Generated Contents) with the reproduced backgrounds of popular Hallyu dramas. "K-Wonder Castle" is a space that users encounter first when they access K-Wonderland and Wonderland's official character "K-Wonder Stars" welcomes users. In the K-Wonder Castle, users can take rides, and take snapshots together with sculptures and architecture, which will arouse their interest. On the outdoor signboard of "K-Wonder Hall", introductory videos of K-Wonderland and major Hallyu events are played 24/7. Inside the space, it offers information on events, a guide on how to enjoy K-Wonderland, Hallyu-related events, as well as exhibitions related to Hallyu stars, and games. In "K-Pop Stage", actual music broadcast stages, practice rooms, and waiting rooms are reproduced, so users can experience becoming a K-pop star themselves. "K-Drama Studio", which is scheduled to be additionally open for service in November, recreates famous scenes from six popular Hallyu dramas to induce users to play various roles in dramas. K-Wonderland generates a creative environment where users can make secondary creations on their own using personal avatars, rather than simply experiencing the metaverse space. It is expected to contribute greatly to Hallyu fans around the world becoming more familiar with Korean culture and voluntarily spreading it. Through the shooting features provided by ZEPETO, users can record photos or video content of exploring and enjoying K-Wonderland and can make their own music videos and dramas using various spaces of K-Wonderland. Also, on the 18th (Tuesday), the popular K-pop group ITZY, K-Wonderland's official ambassador, will join the metaverse fan meeting held at K-Wonderland and actively communicate with Hallyu fans. KOFICE President Jung Kilhwa said, "We expect that this K-Wonderland in combination with digital technologies will be an attempt to dominate a new content market in advance and expand Hallyu content for future generations." Anyone can visit K-Wonderland via the ZEPETO application, and more information can be found on the official K-Wonderland website (kwonderland.kr). SOURCE Korean Foundation for International Cultural Exchange (KOFICE), Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism(MCST)