5G Village to be established in Uiyaji Village, Pyeongchang

KT held an opening ceremony for the 'Pyeongchang 5G Village' in Daegwallyeong-myeon, Pyeongchang-gun, Gangwon-do, and announced that it has applied the world's first 5G network to Uiyaji Village in Daegwallyeong.

Uiyaji Village, where the 5G Village was recently established, has long been known as "a place where righteous people gather." Located at an altitude of over 700 meters, it features well-developed high-altitude agriculture and is also called "Uiyaji Wind Village" due to the strong winds. It was designated as an Information Technology Village in 2009, making it a region with a high level of understanding of IT.

KT has been collaborating with the Ministry of the Interior and Safety to address the increasingly serious issue of population decline in affected regions. The Ministry is currently implementing the "Daegwallyeong-myeon Shinbaram Project" in partnership with Pyeongchang County to transform Uiyaji Village in Pyeongchang, Gangwon Province, into a hub for "culture and tourism" that helps prevent population decline. The Pyeongchang 5G Village is also a project being pursued as part of this initiative.

KT is the official telecommunications partner of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics and the first sustainability partner. The PyeongChang 5G Village was recognized as a sustainability partner project by the PyeongChang Winter Olympics Organizing Committee. In addition, the PyeongChang 5G Village is one of the integrated support projects for population-declining regions promoted by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety. The Ministry of the Interior and Safety expects that the construction of the 5G Village will contribute to the revitalization of the tourism industry in Uiyaji Village.

Pyeongchang 5G Village is an extension of 'Giga Story,' which KT has been promoting since 2014. Giga Story is a program that realizes value tailored to local characteristics based on innovative technologies owned by the KT Group. Uiyaji Village has become the sixth protagonist of a Giga Story in Korea, following Imjado, Daeseong-dong Village (DMZ), Baengnyeongdo, Cheonghak-dong, and Gyodongdo. Overseas, a Giga Story was written on Moheshkhali Island in Bangladesh in April of this year.

KT has newly established the 'Kkotbat Yangji Cafe' in the center of the Pyeongchang 5G Village. Built as a two-story building on a sunny roadside (Kkotbat Yangji-gil) where flowers bloom every spring, this cafe combines networks such as 5G with cutting-edge ICT technologies like Augmented Reality (AR), Mixed Reality (MR), and holograms to provide visitors with tourist information, local specialty sales, and drone experiences.

On the first floor, visitors can enjoy touch games utilizing network-based AR technology, along with introductions to seven famous landmarks and locations in Daegwallyeong-myeon, such as Uiyaji Village, Samyang Ranch, Sky Ranch, and Alpensia. Visitors who complete all the games will be presented with free coffee, ranch discount coupons, and local specialty discount coupons.

In addition, a motion-sensing media wall is installed on one wall, allowing visitors to view introductions to Uiyaji Village's tourist attractions, play motion-sensing games, and access real-time village footage captured by a drone via a network. The drone providing the village footage operates via autonomous flight.

If you go up to the second floor, the '5G AR Market,' a service based on the 5G network, awaits. The 5G AR Market is a futuristic platform that allows for shopping with an immersive experience, similar to walking through a real street and selecting items. It introduces local agricultural products and specialties by creating a scenario through 360-degree video that simulates browsing a real traditional market. It is expected to provide significant assistance to the future development of the local economy, as it will even allow for the direct purchase of agricultural products.

Using dioramas, visitors can experience 5G services applied to the PyeongChang and Gangneung stadium areas, as well as amazing virtual reality. Models of the Ice Arena and Cross-Country Stadium have been recreated, allowing users to watch video transmitted at ultra-high speed and high capacity via the 5G network from specific viewpoints. Additionally, it offers a fantastic experience where the virtual and reality intertwine, such as using a smart pad to create a "Magic Gate" to make snow fall on the diorama.

Numerous amenities for tourists and local residents have been installed around the Kkotbat Yangji Cafe. Electric vehicles and charging facilities have been set up in front of the cafe, allowing tourists to tour Samyang Ranch, Sky Ranch, and other areas using electric vehicles. To the left of the cafe, smart healing chairs and streetlights have been installed, providing a space for tourists to take photos and relax. Based on IoT sensing technology, both the smart healing chairs and streetlights allow users to enjoy colors and music tailored to their mood. This solution was jointly researched and developed by KT, the Ministry of Science and ICT, and the National Information Society Agency (NIA).

Smart cabinets and a video conferencing system for village residents have been installed in the IT training room located behind the cafe. The smart cabinets are used for purposes such as storing items and delivering packages. The video conferencing system, consisting of a 60-inch TV, webcam, and microphone, is intended to be primarily used for online education for village residents.

Uiyaji Village is expected to become the first village to prevent damage caused by wild animals, such as wild boars, through network-based ICT solutions. KT installed ICT consisting of network-connected PTZ (Pan-Tilt-Zoom) cameras, radar, and deterrents in two locations where wild boars frequently appear. It is a method of identifying wild boars using a radar sensor and a PTZ camera equipped with high-speed tracking, zooming, and video analysis functions, and then driving the wild boars away with light (Stage 1), sound, and repellent (Stage 2) from the repellent device.

According to this year's parliamentary audit data, the amount of crop damage caused by wild boars reached 5.6 billion won in 2016. Over the past five years, there have also been three deaths and two serious injuries resulting from wild boar attacks. KT anticipates that the pest control solution installed in Uiyaji Village will help reduce property damage, such as crop damage, caused by wild animals like wild boars, as well as prevent safety accidents.

KT established the 'Pyeongchang 5G Village' anticipating that people from all over the world would visit Pyeongchang once the Winter Olympics opened. The goal is to showcase Korea's advanced 5G communication technology to many foreigners at the Pyeongchang 5G Village, which is located just a 15-minute drive from Pyeongchang's major stadiums. As shuttle buses will operate from Pyeongchang County to Uiyaji Village once the Winter Olympics begin, KT expects a significant number of foreigners to visit the Pyeongchang 5G Village during the Games.

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety, in collaboration with KT, anticipates that the additional establishment of a Regional Vitality Center and Sinbaram Plaza in 2018 will not only prevent population outflow from Uiyaji Village but actually lead to a population influx. The Regional Vitality Center, scheduled to be built in Uiyaji Village next year, aims to improve the living environment and develop local cuisine utilizing regional specialties. Furthermore, IT solutions designed to improve living conditions, such as a crop theft prevention system and U-care services for the elderly living alone, are scheduled to be implemented.

KT Chairman Hwang Chang-kyu said, “KT will join forces with the residents of Uiyaji Village to ensure that people from around the world visiting Pyeongchang next February can experience the thrill of winter sports along with the wonder of 5G,” adding, “We will also clearly demonstrate in Uiyaji Village how innovative technologies centered on 5G will transform future lifestyles.”