SK Telecom & Google
Changdeok ARirang
Welcome to the future of cultural experiences.
Become immersed in an eclectic mix of educational, explorative and playful stories to discover the hidden past at UNESCO world-heritage site, Changdeok Palace.
Teaming up with SK Telecom, Google and the Cultural Heritage Administration, we created a first of its kind AR enhanced tour experience, mapping out the entire cultural site digitally to make history more accessible to all.
Meet Haechi, your virtual tour guide
Guided by an enigmatic mythical creature, Haechi, visitors can discover 12 unique interactive activities. They can select their own route around the palace by choosing from an interactive map within the app. Haechi then plots the route from any spot in the palace by leveraging a number of cutting-edge technologies.
Learn, discover and partake in traditional customs
To get a virtual taste for the authentic customs and activities of the Joseon Dynasty, visitors can practice archery with the Joseon Prince, learn an ancient dynastic dance, discover the role of the Sinmungo Drum and explore secret portals to unlock hidden histories.
Take a selfie with the King and Queen
Visitors can interact with the King and Queen in a much more informal manner in the courtyard, where they pose for photos with visitors that can be saved and shared instantly.
A Next Generation AR Experience
In order to achieve this incredibly lifelike depiction of members of the 18th Century Joseon Court, the team captured the performances of 21st Century actors using 360 volumetric capture. Visitors can enjoy these 4k captured performances on site through the pioneering use of SKT 5G Mobile Edge Computing (MEC), Google ARCore and Google Cloud technologies
Cultural Authenticity
The team worked with a board of cultural advisors each step of the way to ensure every detail within each experience was authentically recreated. From the headdresses, shoes and costumes worn by the actors to the priceless artefacts dotted around the palace grounds, every element was painstakingly considered. All of the cast are South Korean. The dancer is a trained traditional Korean dancer. The team even took a traditional Korean archery lesson to learn how to properly draw and fire an arrow
Changdeok ARirang ‘At Home’
During the Covid-19 pandemic, an adapted ‘At Home’ version of the experience was released, allowing people to access this ground-breaking content from anywhere in the world. 247,000 people and counting have downloaded the app.
