Cities and Territorial Brand in The Metaverse: The Metaverse SEOUL Case

Abstract

Cities involve units of time and space, being part of historical, social, economic, cultural, and tourist imaginary constructions. The goal is to understand how the territorial brand, based on regional development theories, is being used in the metaverse city of Seoul, South Korea. The method used was a case study associated with bibliographic and documentary research, using a protocol with four analytical categories. The main results referred to a metaverse territorial-regional brand, bringing discussions about a new geographical-virtual-immersive metaverse scale. It also addressed the use of recognition and competitiveness strategies between interactive-immersive territories. The conclusion confirms that Seoul’s metaverse territorial-regional brand is strategically divided into three situations: (1) For city marketing purposes, positioning it as the first metaverse global city; (2) in city branding to strengthen the reputation and identity of the territory; and (3) to drive the transformation of physical territory with urban revitalization projects from the metaverse environment. Moreover, it serves Metaverse Seoul as an interactive and immersive field laboratory in virtual reality.

1. Introduction

Cities involve units of time and space, being part of historical, social, economic, cultural, and tourist imaginary constructions. The symbolic-concrete framework involving the urban environment has an intrinsic relationship with constructed space and temporality, and it is impossible to think of one without the other [1]. The imagination for more sustainable cities and the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on cities and metropolitan regions [2] have created conditions for creating smart cities governed by artificial intelligence. The scenario exposed has expanded human imagination and the continuous search for an intelligent utopia [3]. It stands out that the smart city discourse is a powerful tool for political legitimization mechanisms [4]. The representation of the memory or history of the city includes the experience of the inseparable time of the representation of space [1], regardless of whether the space is real/physical or virtual, as in the case of the virtual environment (internet) or the virtual-immersive environment (metaverse). The origin of the metaverse comes from works of fiction, such as “Snow Crash”, published in 1992, from games such as Second Life, Roblox, Fortnite, and Minecraft, and films such as Matrix and Avatar, also coming from video games. First, however, it is necessary to remember several existing metaverses [5].

The problematization of the research includes the metaverse as a transcomplex scenario of techno education because its language is peculiar [6], distinct from the internet scenario (Web2), extending this difference to digital cities (and similar) and metaverse cities. In addition, the metaverse, still under construction, presents gaps in the feeling of citizenship and as a collaborative space [7] within a three-dimensional environment [8,9] and a mixed environment [10] that influences the production of contemporary urban space [11]. Space is conceived as an autonomous force that is produced through the daily acts of survival of those who inhabit the urban space [12], and, at present, the metaverse blends with such reality. It is a universe that will merge with the real world through 3D technologies, economies (cryptocurrencies and blockchain), and other modes of trade that will propose new relationships and possibilities, including how one understands cities and countries. However, adapting to the metaverse may mask an unknown reality that will reveal its impact over time [13], as occurred with the COVID-19 pandemic. Although heralded as a post-internet revolution (Web3), the metaverse is familiar [14], which can cause frustration. However, the metaverse is still under construction and is to be more inclusive and participatory than real life. If it is the reverse, it will be a space of intolerance and bubble-making of coexistence, such as digital social networks [14]. Just as a race for smarter development [15] has been predicted, the race for the metaverse world intensifies the geopolitical dispute between continents [16].

This problem emphasizes three concerns:

(1)

What drives a city to enter the metaverse?

(2)

How is the concept of the territorial brand in regional development used in Metaverse Seoul, South Korea?

(3)

Finally, how has Metaverse Seoul used a territorial brand?

These concerns provoked discussions about the relationship between the metaverse, a territorial brand, and urban-territorial-regional development. They also addressed the relationships between people and cutting-edge technology.

The goal is to understand how the concept of territorial branding in regional development is used in Metaverse Seoul, South Korea. In addition, it seeks to identify the factors that lead a city to recognition in the virtual-interactive-immersive-experiential environment, the metaverse (Web3). This research includes investigating the strategies adopted by the city to enter and remain in the metaverse, advancing to the development produced in this environment, which may advance to development in the real world.

Research justification covers the existence of a virtual society, justifying the territorial space in its symbolic, economic, and sociopolitical dimensions. It also reveals the importance of the metaverse, cyberspace, and the Internet [17], including the transition from Web2 to Web3. Additionally, it involves understanding how technology affects and is affected by urban environments. The metaverse generates immersive experiences that involve people’s perceptions using 3D and hybrid technologies to create an interaction experience that generates a particular virtual immersion [18]. Notably, the repercussion of the metaverse or metauniverse is a global reality [19], generating a race for the construction of metaverse cities. In contemporary times, since the metaverse reality is still under construction, the cases found support rather than substitute the relations between human beings [20]. The understanding of these immersive virtual worlds involves transferring knowledge, which is a state of the art still incipient in the world [20]. According to Buhalis [21], the metaverse is the next disruptive technology that will impact society in the coming decades, allowing immersive experiences in virtual and physical environments. Thus, originality lies in investigating metaverse cities from the perspective of the territorial brand in the context of territorial and regional development because there is no similar study in the scientific literature.

Research on the metaverse city of Seoul is innovative by combining elements of the metaverse, geography, and virtual immersion on an urban scale. Studies with a different focus than this research have been found, so investigating the urban-regional context is pioneering work. Creating a metaverse city, such as Seoul, represents a pioneering application of technology to recreate urban spaces in an immersive virtual environment. Thus, this study addresses the specific absence of literature on metaverse cities. Generally, this kind of city is only associated with augmented or extended reality or virtual games. Putting the city in the focus of the metaverse shows that the metaverse city is not a game but rather a future trend that will open a new era of “metaverse urban studies.” In the coming years, it will become more and more attractive for scientists and researchers to investigate this phenomenon, whose focus is the urban space. Furthermore, Seoul’s case was justified because it is the first and only city that disclosed its metaverse strategy in global media when the study was planned in early 2022. It is noticeable that other cities have followed Seoul’s trend, albeit timidly. The few existing cases of metaverse cities in 2023 are of different complexities than the case of Seoul. Thus, for these reasons, Seoul was chosen.

For several reasons, Seoul is a suitable choice for research on a metaverse city. First, as the largest city in South Korea, it has a dense and diverse population, providing a dynamic urban context for analyzing user interactions and behaviors in a metaverse environment. In addition, the city is internationally recognized as a technological and innovative hub with an advanced digital infrastructure, facilitating the implementation and adoption of a metaverse city. Additionally, Seoul’s rich culture and history offer a unique opportunity to explore how a metaverse city can preserve and promote cultural heritage in a virtual environment. These factors combined make Seoul a suitable and promising choice for this research.

This work is divided into five sections. It begins by introducing the main themes and the study proposal, advancing to the research methodology. After that, analyses of the four categories of the research protocol were applied to Seoul, followed by the results and, finally, the conclusion.

2. Literature Review

2.1. Territorial Brand in Regional Development and Marketing Laws

When talking about brands of market products, the same applies to territorial brands, and one can use the strategy of the 22 marketing laws [22]: Leadership, category, consumer mind, perception, focus, exclusivity, ladder law, duality, contrary, division, perspective, line extensions, sacrifice, attributes, sincerity, singularity, uncertainty, success, failure, exaggeration, acceleration, and resources. One of these stratagems, for example, is “The 22 established laws of marketing” by Ries and Trout [22]. They claim that convincing the consumer that this product is the first of its kind and occupies a leadership position is more complex than just differentiating a product from similar products; in other words, it is more important to be first than to be the best. We use Almeida’s [23] concept as it is broader and focuses on regional development, recognizing marketing and branding as different.

The concept of the territorial brand because of the cultural approach of Regional Development refers to the creation of symbolic value, the articulation of the actors as to the plurality of identities present in a territory, the way they use this brand and make it a significant asset for the territory and, consequently, for the region. In addition, the construction of narratives about the territory and the strategies used to construct a brand that articulates a set of actors are incorporated into the concept. The territorial brand is, therefore, a multifaceted concept that can be understood as an intentionally organized movement between elements, discursive and visual, articulated by social actors of a given territory that draw on culture and territorial identity to create a specific brand for that space, distinguishing it from others.

[23] (p. 247)

The theme of territorial branding includes spatial planning and place branding, whose local narratives become place assets [24,25,26].

2.2. Metaverse and Metaverse Cities

Cities seek to promote sustainable initiatives for smart cities, creating smart urbanism [3], which is part of these metaverses’ initiatives. A metaverse is the union of routine activities in the digital environment, but rather in a three-dimensional and multisensory manner, going beyond virtual reality [27]. The metaverse is an expanding universe still under construction in 21st-century society [21,28], and it gained strength during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Metaverse is a virtual universe in the clouds based on augmented reality. It will offer an immersive experience (inside the virtual world) for people in this parallel environment to real life, that is, a world that, besides having content, people will be able to interact socially, play games, watch shows, work, trade, and study as if they were in a real-world.

[16]

Technologies in modern urban environments are essential in everyday life. Smart and digital cities are examples of accelerating technological changes that seek urban sustainability through Artificial Intelligence (AI) to amplify citizen engagement [3].

Metaverse is an immersive and multisensory experience where physical people interact, through multiple devices, with each other, and the constructs are converted into digital objects, in a dystopian world or a representation of the real one, based on an advanced online digital platform.

[18] (p. 2)

An understanding of the metaverse is common. For example, Carneiro [29] says that the metaverse denominates an “[...] immersive, collective and hyper-realistic virtual environment, where people can socialize using customized 3D avatars”. Thus, there must be interactive and experiential integration between the real and virtual worlds to have a metaverse.

2.2.1. Metaverse City

For this study, we have yet to find a universal or specific concept about metaverse cities since the phenomenon is recent. Instead, what is perceived is the application of the idea of transposing the physical world to the immersive virtual world. This concept is known as the metaverse, which includes its approach to smart cities and 3D technologies [21,30,31].

There is, therefore, an absence of a more formal concept for a metaverse city, and this study is also an opportunity to create one. Thus, we consider a metaverse city a multifaceted concept from Web3, forming a singular ecosystem of related concepts to enable people’s interaction, immersion, and experiences. Thus, a metaverse city is composed of the following:

(a)

Virtual Reality—because it includes a three-dimensional virtual environment that creates an immersive and interactive experience for users [32].

(b)

Internet of Things—because it uses a complex system of interconnected virtual objects controlled and monitored through Internet-of-things technologies [33].

(c)

Artificial Intelligence—used to control and optimize virtual processes and interactions, creating a more fluid and adaptive experience for users [34].

(d)

Complex Systems—including multiple interconnected components, which interact and adapt to changes in the virtual environment and users’ actions [35].

(e)

Social Networks—encompasses a social networking platform where users can interact, share, and create content and connect with others worldwide [36].

With this scenario, the concept of a metaverse city that we will adopt in the study is from a symbolic tripartite territory (immersive, experiential/interactive, and virtual). This concept allows the application of various possibilities between real and virtual worlds and vice versa. In a metaverse city, it is understood that numerous cutting-edge technologies are involved, making it different from a digital city (Web2) or Smart City. Web3 and immersive virtual interaction are essential for a metaverse city perceived in multiple ways: As virtual reality, IoT, artificial intelligence, an immersive social network, and a complex system of multiple components interact and adapt to users’ actions. The metaverse city is not necessarily a copy of the physical city but rather an extension of the city itself to another universe, the metaverse. In this extension, people, whether they realize the existence of both universes or not, interact with them as if it were something natural, without noticing their borders.

2.2.2. Web 3 and Metaverse: Conceptual Differences

“Web3” and “metaverse” are often associated with the context of blockchain and decentralized technology. Additionally, they are used in other contexts as well. “Web3” refers to a future Internet vision that seeks to decentralize control over online data and interactions. This vision involves using decentralized technologies, such as blockchain and smart contracts, to enable greater user autonomy, privacy, and security over personal data. However, the underlying concept of “Web3” can also be discussed in broader terms, encompassing the evolution of the Internet toward a more open, collaborative, and user-centric infrastructure [3,27,30,31].

The term “metaverse” originally referred to a science fiction concept describing a shared, three-dimensional, immersive virtual space where users can interact with a digital environment and each other. In the current context, the term “metaverse” is often used to describe interactive and immersive virtual environments that go beyond traditional Internet experiences. Although blockchains are a decentralized technology, the concept of metaverses extends beyond them. Technology companies, game developers, virtual reality companies, and even governments have explored the metaverse concept in different contexts and with different technological approaches [3,27,30,31].

Thus, although the terms “Web3” and “metaverse” are often related to the context of blockchain and decentralized technology, they can also be discussed and used in a broader context, encompassing changes in the way we interact with the Internet and virtual environments. In the case of this research, we discuss urban and regional spaces in the metaverse.

2.3. Territorial and Regional Development

Regional development is an interdisciplinary multifaceted concept composed of several dimensions and theories, including territorial discussion. For Saquet [37], the territory is the fundamental component of locally based, cultural, and ecological development from an endogenous perspective. Moreover, the social actors involved in this type of development are multiple and involve urban and rural spaces and society–nature relations. Finally, a territory is more than a circumscribed space because, according to Raffestin [38], the power relations between social actors delimit a space.

“Development is a dynamic process intertwined with the making and unmaking of territory” [39] (p. 116). In this sense, a territory can come from different processes, both top-down and bottom-up [40], forming and extinguishing itself due to the relations that are established or are under construction. This movement happens in people’s minds, in their representations, mediations, appropriations, anchorages, resistances, and struggles when participating, debating, and mobilizing, especially at the local level [37]. Regarding regional development, three central concepts, namely, territory, place, and region [41], are often mistakenly considered synonymous. By place, Santos [41] considers the space recognized and experienced by a community. Thus, it differs from territory delimited by power relations. Territory-place [37,42] also assumes centrality. It is understood as the space-time in which people live, feel, perceive, breathe, aspire, suffer, interact (social and social-naturally), recognize, struggle, resist, degrade, and preserve. Moreover, it is the space where they are extorted, exploited, and subordinated and can reorder power relations to live more symmetrically. The region is already a broader concept than territory and place, formed by typical particularities, only sometimes associated with climatic or geographical conditions [41]. This is the case, for example, of regions such as Mercosur, the European Union, Silicon Valley, and others.

3. Method

The method used was a case study associated with the literature and documentary research [43]. In the description and analyses of the variables, we applied qualitative techniques. There were five phases in this research:

Phase 0. In January 2022, the researcher searched for “metaverse city” on Google. The only reference found was the city of Seoul, creating a metaverse city. There were attempts to find other metaverse cities established or under construction but these failed to succeed. Thus, the option was to look deeper into the case of Seoul.

Phase 1. The first Google results that matched the search for the term “Seoul city metaverse” in February and March 2022 were chosen. This strategy was necessary because 2,440,000 results were found for the English term, and many titles were repeated on different sites. Furthermore, in this exploratory phase of the research, the official site of Seoul was also included, ascertaining the presence or absence of the Seoul Metaverse. This step contributes to the further analysis carried out on the actions of the metaverse city.

Phase 2. The existence or absence of the Seoul territorial brand, slogan, and mascot was ascertained, extending to the use (or not) of the same brand in Metaverse Seoul.

Phase 3. We checked the planned actions on the city’s official website, linked to the project of turning Seoul into a metaverse city.

Phase 4. We analyzed the collected data and subsequent discussion of the results, followed by research documentation.

Phase 5. We drew conclusions from the study and undertook the publication of the research.

Due to the depth of understanding of the aspects underlying the creation of metaverse cities, a qualitative research method was chosen to analyze Seoul City’s case regarding metaverse cities. The justification for the qualitative approach includes exploring emerging phenomena such as the metaverse city, context and meaning, the diversity of perspectives, and methodological flexibility.

The scope of the research addressed the city of Seoul, South Korea, recognized by the international online media as the first city in the world to enter the metaverse fully. The investigated scenario showed plans to build a metaverse city in Seoul, South Korea. The “Soul of City” project is a partnership between the Seoul city government and technology companies, including Samsung and Naver. According to information released in media releases, the Seoul metaverse city will be a three-dimensional virtual environment replicating the real city, allowing users to explore and interact with buildings, people, virtual objects, and local governance. In addition, the Seoul metaverse city will also offer unique services and features, such as virtual meeting rooms for businesses, virtual classes for students, and wellness programs for residents, including virtual and immersive public services. Unfortunately, details about the project are still scarce, and there needs to be more information about when the metaverse city will be available to the Korean public. However, the initiative shows how cities are beginning to explore the potential of emerging technologies, such as the metaverse, to create ways to interact and engage with citizens.

The observation unit included eight international websites that published releases about Seoul as a metaverse city; the Seoul Metropolitan Government—SMG website [44] (https://english.seoul.go.kr/, accessed on 14 February 2023); the Seoul Vision 2030 [45] (SV2030) document; and the Seoul City brand and its mascot Haechi.

The study data were analyzed using content analysis [46,47,48], considering four variables: The metaverse city, urban-regional strategies in the metaverse, Seoul’s territorial brand, and Seoul’s urban-regional involvement. These variables were chosen based on the documents analyzed and the theoretical framework of the study. Qualitative content analysis was more appropriate for this study as it assisted in identifying the characteristics of the metaverse city from urban and regional studies. Thus, in this investigation, the subjectivity of the researcher was considered. The qualitative scientific research method is widely justified in the literature, allowing the researcher to understand social phenomena from a subjective perspective [48,49,50]. This strategy allows the uncovering of new knowledge and the construction of new theories [47,48] to understand the metaverse in the urban and regional domains.

The research period was from January 2022 to April 2023.

4. Analysis

4.1. Metaverse City

As of November 2021, the international media announced the insertion of the city of Seoul into the metaverse. This recognition acknowledges that it is the first city in the world to integrate this virtual, interactive, and immersive environment. The press release titles highlighted Seoul as the first metaverse city in the world (

Table 1. Titles of (inter)national releases.

N.	Titles	Links
1	Seoul to become the first city to enter the metaverse. What will it look like?	https://www.euronews.com/next/2021/11/10/seoul-to-become-the-first-city-to-enter-the-metaverse-what-will-it-look-like (accessed on 20 February 2023)
2	How Seoul is creating a metaverse for a smarter city	https://venturebeat.com/ai/how-seoul-is-creating-a-metaverse-for-a-smarter-city/ (accessed on 20 February 2023)
3	Seoul wants to build a metaverse. A virtual New Year’s Eve ceremony will kick it off	https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/metaverse-seoul-virtual/2021/11/27/03928120-4248-11ec-9404-50a28a88b9cd_story.html (accessed on 20 February 2023)
4	Seoul is the first major city to join the metaverse	https://twitter.com/i/events/1466734180478369792 (accessed on 20 February 2023)
5	South Korea to Pour $187M Into ‘World-class Metaverse Ecosystem’	https://blockworks.co/news/south-korea-to-pour-187m-into-world-class-metaverse-ecosystem (accessed on 20 February 2023)
6	Seoul’s Local Government Builds a Metaverse Counterpart	https://www.psfk.com/2022/03/seouls-local-government-builds-a-metaverse-counterpart.html (accessed on 20 February 2023)
7	Seoul Metropolitan Government builds its own ‘Metaverse Platform’ for the first time in a new concept public service	encr.pw/84ibW (accessed on 20 February 2023)
8	Seoul opens metaverse-based city hall as demonstration to establish metaverse city	https://smartcity.go.kr/en/2021/11/03/%EC%84%9C%EC%9A%B8%EC%8B%9C-%EC%A7%80%EC%9E%90%EC%B2%B4-%EC%B5%9C%EC%B4%88%EB%A1%9C-%EC%9E%90%EC%B2%B4-%EB%A9%94%ED%83%80%EB%B2%84%EC%8A%A4-%ED%94%8C%EB%9E%AB%ED%8F%BC-%EA%B5%AC%EC%B6%95%ED%95%B4/ (accessed on 20 February 2023)

).

Table 2. (Inter)national categories from the releases.

Thematic Categories
Smart City Metaverse
Large cities in the metaverse
Worldwide metaverse ecosystem
Pioneering in metaverse public services
Pioneering in metaverse city
Metaverse platform

presents different highlights in the investigated releases.

Therefore, in addition to Seoul’s recognition as the first metaverse city, the (inter)national media highlighted another aspect: The pioneering use of public services in the metaverse environment, aiming to eliminate bureaucracies existing in the face-to-face environment. The scenario shows that Seoul wants to be the first global metaverse city, the first city to use real public services in the metaverse, and the first city to create a metaverse city market. The desired pioneering comes from the laws of marketing by Ries and Trout [22], in which the first law concerns leadership. Thus, Seoul’s strategy of becoming the first metaverse city not only meets the first marketing law but also achieves four other laws. These include creating a new category (metaverse city), pioneering in the consumer’s mind (in this case, the metaverse consumer-citizen), conquering the metaverse consumer citizens’ perception, and finally, focus. Focus refers to effectively fixing a word in the potential customer’s mind. The other marketing laws apply to the Seoul Metaverse, but the first five are difficult to achieve.

4.2. Urban-Regional Strategies in the Metaverse

The Policy/Urban Planning link contains the news item “Virtual Seoul City Hall via a beta version of Metaverse Seoul”, released on 11 May 2022 (Figure 1).

In the news, the Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG) announced the start of its pilot service in Seoul’s virtual metaverse city hall as of 9 May 2022. The test version of Metaverse City was created for “[...] citizens to experience Metaverse Seoul before its official launch” [51] (s.p.) and is available via the local mobile app. The beta version of Metaverse Seoul presents Seoul City Hall in a 3D virtual space (Figure 2), where users can visit the lobby and the mayor’s office as avatars, interact with other users, and can even submit actual petitions to the local government [51].

According to the city’s official website, the plan is to use this beta test for two main purposes. The first is to collect general feedback from citizens regarding their experience with the Metaverse Seoul platform. The second is to identify any operational shortcomings that exist to make improvements to the platform, which is currently under development [51]. Since the city announced its comprehensive plan for Metaverse Seoul in October 2021 and became the first global city to provide virtual public services, it has garnered worldwide interest. People are intrigued by how Seoul is creating a metaverse for a smarter and more innovative city, surpassing the current Smart City concept. To elucidate the vision and progress of the Seoul Metaverse, city officials participated in Future Compute 2022 (Figure 3), organized by the MIT Media Lab [51].

With state-of-the-art digital resources and infrastructure, Metaverse Seoul aims to preemptively respond to citizens’ desire for new virtual experiences and provide better public services. In the future, Seoul plans to actively establish a global leadership position as a smart city based on its urban competitiveness [51], but in another environment, the metaverse.

4.3. Seoul Territorial Brand

The link About Seoul/Seoul’s Symbols/City Brand states that the city adopts a territorial brand, whose positioning is “Seoul, Where “You” and “I” Connect and Coexist” (Figure 4).

The slogan adopted by the Seoul brand is “Between people, there is Seoul”, meaning that Seoul is at the center of all relationships and attention among citizens and people worldwide. Seoul is a city where diverse nationalities and generations, mountains and rivers, ancient palaces, skyscrapers, and all the disparate elements coexist harmoniously, as stated on its official website. Seoul’s landmark tries to bridge the gap between two points: Passion and relaxation. In this sense, “The red dot next to “I” signifies passion, while the blue dot next to “U” symbolizes relaxation. Seoul is what allows everything to coexist in harmony, from “my heated passion” to “your calm relaxation.”

The letter “O” in “SEOUL” is expressed as the Korean letter “ㅇ”, illustrating the pride of Koreans and highlighting Seoul’s coexistence with the rest of the world. The Korean letter “ㅇ” is also shaped like the traditional Korean doorknob, suggesting that “[...] you and I knock on the door to Seoul and walk in together.”

Notably, another slogan found in the link About Seoul City Slogan, “Seoul, Up and Running Again for Fairness”, differs from the previous one linked to the city brand. According to Seoul city [51], it also states that

This city slogan serves as a top priority of Seoul Vision 2030, the master plan of the basic directions of the city’s administrative operation for the next decade until 2030. It encapsulates the vision of both Seoul running as a global city that values fairness and coprosperity, and citizens running towards Seoul as a city of dreams and opportunity.

(Proclaimed 15 September 2021)

This references the Seoul Vision 2030 [42] guidelines (Figure 5) to become a global city by 2030.

According to Seoul Vision 2030, the intention is to position the city as a global city that values justice and co-prosperity, trying to build the image of a city of dreams and opportunities. Seoul Vision 2030 is based on four pillars, with the last pillar named Future Vibes. This pillar focuses on the policies of Advancing Seoul’s Future Forward with Innovation. One of the specific tasks under this pillar is to build the Seoul Metaverse. The goals of this visionary pillar include a futuristic urban ecosystem, smart transportation infrastructure, digital transformation, and urban sustainability. The positioning it adopts is linked to the race for smart development in the world, as described in the UNESCO Report [15]. One of Seoul’s territorial branding strategies is to use a mascot (Figure 6), found at the “About Seoul/Seoul’s Symbols/Symbol” link [51].

Thus, the Seoul Metropolitan Government created the iconic character “Haechi”. The purpose of this creation was to elevate the global standing of Seoul’s territorial brand. The goal was “[...] enhance its urban competitiveness and boost its international stature with the recognition of the need to develop a powerful system of symbols that represent the size and status of Seoul” [51]. The production process for Seoul City’s brand mascot began in 2008. It involved selecting 27 symbols that represented Seoul, encompassing its history, culture, and attractions. Then, after conducting a public survey, the SMG decided on Haechi, which demonstrated symbolism and applicability most meaningful to the local government.

Haechi is a symbolic brand that represents Seoul, developed to portray the historical tradition and unique cultural image of Seoul while giving hopes and dreams to Seoul citizens. The dictionary definition of Haechi is “a mythical creature that distinguishes good and bad, what is right and what is wrong.” It is the etymological name of the more commonly used “Haetae.” In addition to being a moral being with a righteous temperament, Haechi also is believed to be a divine creature that guards people against fire and other natural disasters. It is also implied that Haechi is a guardian of Seoul that blocks all types of bad energy and brings fortune and happiness.

[51] (s.p.)

The Seoul brand mascot, Haechi, brings the historical and cultural tradition of the city but with futuristic and symbolic aspects. Notably, it is common to use mythological or fictional characters to create brands and their mascots, and Seoul used the same artifice to create Haechi. Another noteworthy aspect is the production process of selecting Haechi as the brand mascot. The Seoul Metropolitan Government organized a public contest, aiming to involve civil society in the decision-making process of territorial brands and their mascots. This approach, even if minimal, allowed for the inclusion of public participation in the choice. The resource mentioned above was also studied by Almeida [23].

4.4. Seoul’s Urban-Regional Involvement

The document “Seoul Vision 2030”, created by the Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG), is a master plan of the basic directions of the city’s administrative operation for the next decade until 2030 (Figure 6). “Seoul Vision 2030” was constituted by “[...] more than 100 sessions of in-depth discussions and deliberations by the Seoul Vision 2030 Committee, composed of 122 individuals from various fields and social classes” [45]. Therefore, it is a document that tries to be democratic, including different social classes in its creation and implementation. Furthermore, Seoul Vision 2030 brings another positioning: “Seoul, functioning again for justice.” This positioning highlights that justice was part of the city, suggesting that due to some previous fact, justice stopped functioning in that city. The strategies of Seoul Vision 2030 and Metaverse Seoul also try to recover and restore justice in the city.

Four future visions will be established by 2030 to realize the core vision of Seoul as a “[...] city of coexistence, global leader, safe city, and future emotional city.” These visions form the pillars of the document, as mentioned earlier [45]. In addition, four policy directions are implemented to realize these visions through local public policy. These directions include restoring Seoul’s hierarchical mobility ladder, increasing Seoul City’s global competitiveness, realizing a safe urban environment, and improving the city’s dignity with elegance. Under these four policy directions, there are 16 strategic goals and 78 policy tasks:

(a)

Coexistence: Ensure fair competition and opportunities by restoring the hierarchical mobility ladder for housing, employment, education, and welfare. The hierarchical mobility ladder rebuilds the driving force of Seoul’s future development. To ensure fair competition and opportunities, the SMG will aim to build a structural system where the hierarchical mobility ladders in four fields, housing, employment, education, and welfare, will work in a gear format similar to cogs in a machine.

(b)

Global Leadership: Radical reform of regulations and major infrastructure expansion to become a top five global city—the SMG will pursue policies from various angles to enhance the city’s competitiveness to make Seoul a top five global city. In particular, the regulations strengthen Seoul’s global competitiveness to build a high-quality business environment in attracting high-quality human resources, and the existing infrastructure will expand.

(c)

Safe City: Resilience against climate change, particulate matter, accidents, and disasters—the SMG will also become a more resilient and safer urban environment against actors that threaten the life and safety of citizens and hinder the city’s growth, such as climate change, particulate matter, accidents, and disasters.

(d)

Future Emotional City: A dignified city with living charm and elegance and the coexistence of tradition, the present, and the future—the SMG will make a city with living charm and elegance where tradition, the present, and the future coexist to heal the daily lives of the citizens who are exhausted by COVID-19, extending the city’s dignity.

To ensure the executive capacity of the policy tasks of Seoul Vision 2030, the SMG will appoint a director responsible for each task and review the process of each project through quarterly project evaluations for the smooth progress of the project each year to improve and develop the project plan. In addition, it will closely communicate and consult with the city council to realize and implement policy tasks that will be deduced from this future vision.

[45]

Regarding the proposal for a “Balanced Development Plan” for the city, four districts in the northeast area of Seoul will become “the center of the Northeast metropolitan living area”.

Seongbuk, Gangbuk, Dobong, Nowon will be a new center for the northeast Seoul metropolitan living area where about 320,000 citizens reside, encompassing its surrounding areas after removing the image of poor residential areas located on the outskirts of Seiul.

[45]

The “removal of poor residential areas around Seoul” contributes to gentrification. This raises concerns about where the people currently living in those areas will be relocated to and whether their new residential area will provide a higher quality of living compared to their current situation.

Suggest a new model for cooperative regional development policy with public-private governance to realize the region’s specific development. Seoul City’s strategies for balanced development implement the basic principle of inducing specific regional development, using the strengths and resources of each area, rather than implementing the same development strategies in different areas.

[45]

Seoul’s proposed model of “cooperative regional development policy with public-private governance to realize region-specific development” stands out by proposing region-specific development. However, if one considers that all regions have distinct particularities, claiming that they will realize region-specific development becomes redundant. Regarding the regional discussion, the variables “cooperative” and “public-private governance” for regions draw attention. Therefore, local public and private powers (local-national-global) will cooperate mutually to elaborate these regional development policies. From Harvey’s [52] perspective, this cooperation would lead to urban entrepreneurship, but on a regional scale. However, Vainer’s [53] perspective raises concerns that such cooperation may result in the sale of the city to international capital.

The presented strategies of joint or cooperative public–private development will also have an impact on the Northeast of Seoul. Specifically, these strategies will affect the four districts that are implementing the Happy 4-District Plan.

The plan involves building the Changdong and Sanggye area, which has large, empty land twice the size of COEX, to become a central business district (CBD) that will create 80,000 jobs and help the area grow, from preparing business creation to the business growth stage, using strong educational resources available in the four districts. The plan will revitalize the regional economy by creating tourist attractions with natural and historical resources and changing the poor regional environment by ensuring green spaces, culture and living infrastructure successively to increase the competitiveness of the area.

[45]

The Happy 4-District Plan is, therefore, a plan to revitalize an urban area with a new look. The plan is designed to generate jobs and increase territorial competitiveness.

The Northeast 4th District Cooperative Development Group, which was autonomously formed by universities, civic groups, and districts, suggested a regional development proposal prepared in cooperation with residents and the Northeast 4th District Development Research Group for more than 2 years to Seoul City in September 2013. Seoul City decided on a final proposal after considering a larger plan, such as the Seoul Plan 2030, and going through the consensus process with the city-district advisory group.

[45] (s.p.)

The revitalization, as mentioned earlier, includes a specific plurality of social actors, including residents. However, the proposal will still have to be approved by the city-district advisory group leading the Seoul Vision 2030. In addition, the larger plan (Seoul Vision 2030) envisions physically relocating the most economically vulnerable strata from that space to another (with no information on the relocation of these people). If the residents participate in the construction of the area to be revitalized and if they are economically vulnerable people, this advisory group can also decide on relocating all or part of the residents. This, once again, would be a gentrification process.

The intention of these projects proposed by the Seoul government comes from the public authority leading the project, with the districts providing cooperation. However, the official document needs to state whether this cooperation will come only from the private sector or whether the local people will be listened to and taken care of. Therefore, there will be three central issues in building the foundation of the proposed cooperative regional development, called the “Regional Development Foundation”:

(1)

Build the Changsong and Sanggye area as a central business district (CBD), which can create 80,000 jobs, using a large piece of vacant land available in Changdong and Sanggye.

(2)

Assisting the urban development system: Promoting Changdong and Sanggye areas as a new central business district (CBD) can create 80,000 jobs and play a central role in the Northeast metropolitan area where some 320,000 citizens reside.

(3)

Strengthen the foundation of the green living environment along the Jungryangcheon Stream.

The issues pointed out in the “Regional Development Foundation” project aimed at building a revitalized area to aid the city’s development and strengthen urban sustainability. The city of Seoul emphasizes its goal to realize this project as soon as possible to create the conditions for the desired territorial-regional development. The revitalization area that will serve as the basis for this project is anchored on the availability of this space, i.e., it was not strategically chosen but rather was chosen by the criterion of availability. To perform this project, the local rulers will create a “[...] department dedicated to the Changdong Sanggye area to build an efficient project execution system covering everything from planning to development.” It is unclear what the format of this “efficient” system focused on the local development of the revitalized area will look like. However, some actions that will operationalize the project are as follows:

(a)

Review the expansion of a commercial area in relation to the development of a new transit area and apply the height limit (20 m) only for the maximum-height districts.

(b)

Assist the urban planning system to increase civic vitality and lead regional involvement by helping with available urban planning means, such as area use and building districts.

(c)

Carry out new construction of a light rail, such as the Dongbuk Line, in 2022. The city of Seoul will review the development of new rail-influenced areas, the establishment of living zones, and the expansion of commercial areas.

(d)

Complete a green space network (Taereung-Gyeongchun Line-Jungryangcheon Stream-Choansan Mountain) along with regional development in relation to building a park after the removal of the Gyeongchun Line.

(e)

Build Jungryangcheon (Stream) and Uicheon (Stream), passing through the development area as the central green area in the northeast area of Seoul.

(f)

Build ecological parks as gardens along the streams, connecting the disconnected green spaces in the districts.

In addition, two central issues for the active use of regional resources in cooperation with the four target districts of this project are mentioned in Seoul Vision 2030 [42]:

(1)

Specialization of knowledge and education—Build a specialized knowledge and education area for employment, business creation, and research, and provide space for employment and business creation concerning available land. Use a development induction method by establishing conditions for 150,000 human resources to settle for employment, business creation, and research. Build the area as a district specializing in knowledge and education by the region’s strength, i.e., having the most significant number of universities and human and technological resources in Seoul. The city will actively help revitalize knowledge exchange by establishing long-term development measures for the Hongreung area, where many research institutes are located.

(2)

Building a natural, historical, and cultural tourism belt—attract tourists with the region’s natural, historical, and cultural resources, and build settlement-type tourism infrastructure such as Cheongrok-gil. The construction of the Natural, Historical, and Cultural Tourism Belt will make the region a tourist attraction by transforming its resources into storytelling resources. The city will connect separate areas, such as paths on the well-known Bukhansan Mountain and Bulamsan Mountain. Additionally, they will build a walking trail (tentative name: Cheongrok-gil) that will connect natural and historical resources. Lastly, the city will construct the Seongbuk Scenic Exploration Route along the 310 m stretch north of Seoul Fortress by the end of 2022. Furthermore, the city plans to revitalize tourism in the region by securing a settlement-type tourism infrastructure. These include projects such as a temple stay project using traditional temples (Hwagyesa Temple in Gangbuk and Gilsangsa Temple in Seongbuk), a hanok (traditional Korean house) guest house project, and the construction of family-oriented campsites in the Choansan Mountain and Wuyi-dong areas. Additionally, the city plans to construct a museum mall and related programs on the North Seoul District Court lands. These initiatives and the project’s regional issues support the city’s expansion into other districts of Seoul.

The exposed scenario leads to a set of efforts for Seoul to become the first global metaverse city, leveraging and involving concrete actions for its physical reality. The strategy applied demonstrates that the metaverse is more connected to real life than it seems. This connection becomes evident when viewed beyond a certain degree of technical superficiality. The metaverse is neither a computer game nor a simple extension of the internet (Web2), but rather it is something new that society will still deal with in the short to medium term. The metaverse is incomplete regarding construction; however, it is accelerated, with no rules or limits. This situation is reminiscent of the early days of the Internet before the implementation of the LGPD (General Data Protection Laws) and the establishment of cybercrime departments, which only some countries have. Some countries need more economic investment, while others need more understanding of these crimes in the internet environment (Web2). Nowadays, there is a new environment supported by Web3, the metaverse, with no laws or boundaries set yet, but it is a more complex environment. The complexity of the metaverse will force society to think more dynamically about specific legislation for cases that will arise when the metaverse achieves more access.

5. Results and Discussion

Being in the metaverse is a strategy to recognize the existence of a territorial brand. It also helps to gauge the degree of competitiveness between territories and regions, including immersive virtual ones. The expansion of the recognition of the city of Seoul to the metaverse evidences the place branding strategy. This strategy is aligned with the brand’s purpose but at another level of understanding. Moreover, we also exposed that territorial competitiveness has reached the metaverse. This virtual-interactive and experiential environment utilizes avatars and is relatively recent in its dynamics and use by cities and countries. Strategies are the basis of the metaverse, highlighting that it is a parallel-immersive reality that moves billions of dollars daily. The immersion proposed in the metaverse enables immersive activities remotely. For example, it allows individuals to transition from something out of reality to a simple trip to the virtual supermarket for real shopping or to interact with local governance.

It is emphasized that another result leads to the concepts of the territorial brand in regional development. This concept was proposed by Almeida [23] and is also conceptually applied in the proposal of a territorial-regional brand metaverse. This reinforces the pioneering nature of the theme. In addition, we have the concept of a metaverse city built because of the research.

The “brand territorial-regional metaverse” involves the elements of Almeida’s [23] concept of the virtual-interactional-experiential space known as the metaverse. It is a brand that brings in its scope, in addition to the link with an extraordinary territory, the immersive. It encompasses two interconnected physical scales: The territorial and the regional, which are involved in a new environment scale known as the metaverse or metaverse scale. In this sense, the question remains: Would it fit the application of scales in the metaverse as in real life? This is because, in the metaverse, the scales are mixed, allowing it to function as a scale by itself. Thus, we have the local, regional, national, international, and global scales, and we would also have the metaverse scale. Furthermore, we contribute with a scientific concept of a metaverse city. This concept is formed from a symbolic tripartite territory, comprising immersive, experiential, and virtual dimensions. It integrates cutting-edge technologies, differentiating it from digital city (Web2) and Smart Cities.

In addition, a metaverse city has other strengths, including:

(1)

Creativity in exploring new spaces.

(2)

An immersive environment for social interactions and collaboration among users.

(3)

Opportunities for mobility-impaired people to participate and overcome geographical, economic, and social barriers.

(4)

Experimentation and simulation of virtual scenarios for real problems.

(5)

Sustainability and effectiveness in creating virtual spaces that are more sustainable than their physical counterparts.

Although metaverse cities have many advantages, they have weaknesses, including digital exclusion, disconnection from reality, technological dependence, security and privacy concerns, difficulty representing physical space, and digital and economic inequalities. Therefore, not everything is perfect in the metaverse, similar to in real life.

Some connections were found when associating the terms “Web3” and “metaverse” with the search for a metaverse city in Seoul. These connections include using decentralized technologies in governance and integrating connected urban infrastructure into the virtual environment. Additionally, they encompass citizen participation and involvement and the exploration of business models and the digital economy. However, these connections will bring social, economic, political, and cultural implications in implementing a metaverse city. Therefore, it is necessary to be aware of the changes from emerging phenomena such as the metaverse.

6. Conclusions

Seoul and other cities involve historical, social, economic, cultural, and tourist imaginary constructions through the unity of time and space. However, as of 2021, new imagination and space-time are present, termed the metaverse. Suppose the symbolic-concrete framework that involves cities has an intrinsic relationship with the built space and temporality. It is only possible to think of one with the other. In that case, one can consider the metaverse in this relationship. The reality cited is possible because the city’s memory includes temporal experiences inseparable from space. This holds regardless of whether the space is real/physical or virtual-immersive, as in the case of the virtual environment (Web2 internet) or the immersive-experiential environment known as the metaverse (Web3).

The goal led to understanding how territorial branding is used in the metaverse city of Seoul, South Korea. The factors that lead to the recognition of a city in the virtual-interactive-immersive-experiential environment, the metaverse, are multiple. However, we realize that the first law of marketing (leadership) applies to Seoul, positioning it as the first global metaverse city. This leadership is twofold in affirming Seoul as a global city and the first metaverse city, achieving this recognition in the (inter)national media. Seoul City’s strategies to enter and remain in the metaverse incorporate creating a metaverse environment for Seoul and concrete real-world territorial-regional development strategies. This was a way for the rulers to generate a notorious reputation for the Seoul metaverse. They seized the moment to push for real changes in their territory. One of these changes included urban revitalization.

Thus, what leads a city to enter the metaverse (goal 1) in the first moment is its presence being noticed on a global map/metaverse of places. However, although the place’s reputation may be a relevant factor in the decision to enter the metaverse, there are other reasons. Cities may seek this entry for various motives. Some reasons include technological innovation, tourism, and business attraction. Cities may also seek entry into the metaverse for urban experimentation and planning, global connection, and collaboration in promoting immersive virtual inclusion.

The concept of a territorial brand in regional development used in Metaverse Seoul (goal 2) is based, to some extent, on the real world, such as the culture, history, architecture, and identity of the city of Seoul. Therefore, the territorial brand in the Seoul metaverse is a virtual and immersive extension of the brand in the real world. Thus, in the context of the metaverse, the territorial brand concept can be used to promote the identity and distinctive attributes of a particular region or city, such as Seoul. However, it is essential to emphasize that territorial brand strategies in the metaverse must be carefully planned and implemented. These considerations include aspects such as authenticity, cultural respect, and inclusiveness. This becomes necessary to avoid misappropriation or stereotypical representation of a particular region or culture. It is also noteworthy that the understanding and use of place branding is still embryonic in some countries. The abovementioned situation can lead to creating a territorial brand that is just a marketing action, which differs from an authentic place branding process.

Although the metaverse is an immersive and virtual reality, the territorial brand reflects and represents real-world characteristics and elements. Finally, we mention some possible approaches that may have been adopted in the Seoul Metaverse in its one territorial brand (goal 3). One of them is the detailed and realistic visual representation of the city to establish an immediate connection with the identity and aesthetics of the real city. Other approaches to consider in territorial brand strategies in the metaverse include organizing events with thematic activities and integrating local companies into the Seoul brand. Additionally, promoting the city’s history and heritage and broadening the scope of Seoul’s public services can be effective strategies. This last approach includes urban and regional planning integrated into the metaverse.

The study’s main results included the conceptualization of the “brand territorial-regional metaverse”, which explores the presence of a distinct geographical-virtual scale known as the metaverse. This finding contributes to the understanding of territorial branding in the context of virtual environments. In the metaverse, the presence of a city, neighborhood, or country serves as a strategic recognition of their territorial brand and the intense competitiveness that exists among territories, including virtual ones. This new form of competitiveness emerges from the continuous development and construction of the metaverse, which grants it the status of both a territory and a region simultaneously. Seoul’s metaverse territorial-regional brand strategically serves three purposes. Firstly, it is used for city marketing, positioning Seoul as the first global metaverse city. Secondly, it contributes to city branding by strengthening the reputation and identity of the territory. Lastly, it drives the transformation of the physical territory through urban revitalization projects implemented from the metaverse environment. Metaverse Seoul is an interactive and immersive field laboratory in virtual reality, facilitating this transformation. The study goes beyond the virtual realm (Web2) and the use of 3D technologies (Web3), emphasizing the multi-faceted nature of constructing a metaverse city.

Another significant result that the study presents is the “metaverse city” concept since the specialized literature in urban and regional studies does not mention such a concept. Thus, a metaverse city is a virtual representation of a city in the metaverse, where people can meet, interact, and perform various collective activities in a digital and immersive way (with or without 3D glasses or using augmented reality). It is also noteworthy that the metaverse city can be a replica of the real city (digital twin) or be created from the conceptual imaginary. In the latter case, there would be several perspectives of the same city in the metaverse, each with its perspectives and interpretations within the metaverse. The multiplicity of these perspectives can lead to the coexistence of several versions of the same city in the metaverse, each with its characteristics and identities. These can enrich the metaverse experience by offering different options and possibilities for participants to explore and interact with these city versions.

6.1. Contributions

The contributions extend to cutting-edge research on cities, including the metaverse city. Thus, the study deepens the understanding of the (still embryonic) existence of a research agenda on “metaverse urban studies”. This agenda encompasses the urban condition and the rapid changes occurring in cities and regions worldwide. In this sense, the metaverse city assumes the role of an urban laboratory of a virtual-immersive nature used prior to the actual and definitive implementation of a given urban dynamic. The exposed case of Seoul proves this use from different empirical, theoretical, and political perspectives. Moreover, it can also be the case of a territorial brand metaverse arising from contemporary urban transformations with technology at its base.

For the international scientific domain, several aspects are important in this work. Collaboration, knowledge sharing, transparency, and appropriate scientific methodology are crucial in advancing global (including metaverse) science. Therefore, the proposed research explores new virtual and immersive territories, promoting social interaction and collaboration. It also investigates strategies to foster innovation and competition between territories, focusing on cities and regions. Additionally, the research analyzes the correlation between the metaverse city and real societies, examining the impact and interconnectedness between these two realms. Understanding these aspects is fundamental to ethically and responsibly developing virtual environments. It significantly impacts several scientific disciplines and reshapes how people interact in physical, virtual, and immersive environments. By delving into these considerations, we can navigate the challenges and opportunities the metaverse presents while ensuring a positive and inclusive user experience.

The research contributes scientifically to the sustainable metaverse city domain in several ways. First, by exploring sustainability in this context, the research investigates the environmental issues of metaverse cities, bringing them into focus. These results offer insights into designing and managing immersive virtual environments that promote sustainability in real environments. In addition, the research advances the understanding of the challenges and opportunities of governance in a sustainable metaverse city. It delves into crucial aspects such as public participation, collaborative decision-making, and equity of access to virtual resources. By exploring these dimensions, we can develop effective governance models that ensure inclusivity, transparency, and accountability in the metaverse city environment. Another scientific contribution relates to participants’ interactions and the metaverse city. As can be seen, this is an emerging phenomenon with several questions to be addressed by science.

6.2. Theoretical Implications

The contributions of this research are significant in the field of science, particularly in two themes: The territorial brand in the context of regional development and the extension of this concept to the metaverse territorial brand. The metaverse territorial brand emerges from the fusion of two scales, territorial and regional, within the immersive environment of Web3. These findings enhance our understanding of the evolving nature of branding in virtual environments and its implications for regional development. Still, science makes it possible to see that another geographical scale is emerging, one that comes from a virtual-interactive-experiential and immersive environment, the metaverse scale. The study expands our understanding of metaverse cities and metaverse global cities by conceptualizing the metaverse as an immersive virtual geographic scale. This perspective highlights the potential for equating the scales between the physical and virtual environments. Thus, in the metaverse, a global city, a capital city, and a smaller city will have the same scale; that is, they will be a metaverse.

6.3. Practical Implications

For the city of Seoul, it collaborates by presenting its efforts to become the first global metaverse city on the planet, and it is a strategy of the city to gain this recognition. For governors, managers, public policy planners, and urban, territorial, and regional development researchers, it is an opportunity for insights into metaverse cities, entrants to a reality parallel to the physical urban environment. This shows us that if metaverse cities exist, there will be, consequently, metaverse citizens, metaverse citizenship, and metaverse planning (which Seoul has already begun to gain insight into). There will be a race for the transposition from the urban to the metaverse, requiring managers to be updated in this other reality. Lastly, the research offers citizens new ways to engage with city management through immersive virtual interactions. These experiences allow individuals to participate in the whole journey of engaging with the metaverse without leaving their homes.

The knowledge generated by this research can be helpful for a wide range of actors and sectors: Researchers and the scientific community, urban planners and architects, urban managers, governments and policymakers, and technology companies. It can also be helpful for local communities, informing them about practices, policies, and projects related to the development of sustainable metaverse cities that also include physical and real cities. Thus, the findings of this study provide valuable insights for decision-makers, policy planners, and researchers in urban and regional development and related areas.

6.4. Limitations of the Research and Suggestion for Further Research

The limitation of this research is the investigation of only one metaverse city because we did not find another one with the same proposition as Seoul. Therefore, future research could compare this study with other metaverse cities, including both global and non-global cities. This comparative analysis would help validate the concept of the geographic-virtual metaverse scale. For further research, it is also suggested to include a sensitivity analysis or a cross-validation procedure.

6.5. Final Considerations

Based on our findings, we can conclude that Seoul’s metaverse territorial-regional brand plays a strategic role in three key areas. Firstly, it serves city marketing purposes by positioning Seoul as the world’s first global metaverse city. Secondly, it contributes to city branding efforts by enhancing the reputation and identity of the territory. Lastly, it facilitates the transformation of the physical territory through urban revitalization projects driven by the metaverse environment. Metaverse Seoul serves as an interactive and immersive field laboratory in virtual reality, fostering innovation and exploration. Incorporating the metaverse into corporate and government strategies presents a significant challenge. It requires embracing the paradigm of symbolic territory and effectively bridging the gap between the physical world and the metaverse, representing two distinct worlds of existence.

We go from creative cities, through smart and digital cities, to metaverse cities, where creativity, innovation, and artificial intelligence create a virtual and immersive world parallel to the real world. Billions of dollars are invested in resources and new proposals within the metaverse environment. This virtual universe offers endless possibilities, including the potential for specific public management and metaverse management strategies to be developed. A city’s territorial brand and urbanization encompass multiple perspectives, including the information technology and digital revolutions that are part of the metaverse. These interconnected elements shape the evolving landscape of cities and their relationship with virtual environments. The case study presented an opening to the debate of using and appropriating immersive virtual territories, such as the metaverse city and a metaverse territorial brand.