S.Korea's LG Uplus opens children-specialized metaverse Kidstopia

LG Uplus Corp. announced on Thursday that it will be launching an open beta service of its metaverse "Kidstopia" at the end of this month. The service is aimed at elementary school students, with the official launch expected to take place in the third quarter.

Kidstopia is divided into two main areas: Central Plaza and the experiential learning space. Central Plaza is the starting point after log-in, where users can communicate with others using their avatars and engage in fun activities such as camping or snowball fights.

On the other hand, the experiential learning space offers a zoo with 30 rare animals and Dinosaur World, which features 11 dinosaur species from the Mesozoic era.

In addition to the interactive learning experiences, children can review what they have learned through quizzes consisting of about 1,200 questions. Rewards will be given to those who successfully complete the quizzes or missions.

Moreover, children can ask the "AI Friend" in the metaverse a question with their voice and receive an answer through voice response.

LG Uplus' characters "Yuppi and Friends" and "Holeman" serve as AI friends in the metaverse. AI Holeman presents English words and sentences, while AI Pinky offers customized quizzes.

Write to Han-Gyeol Seon at always@hankyung.com