South Korea takes election coverage to the next level with CGI graphics, metaverse

Known as one of the countries with the most advanced entertainment industry, South Korea is taking its election coverage to the next level. As reported by the Korea Herald, KBS channel did the ballot count on the metaverse platform ifland.

KBS became the channel with the most-watched presidential election coverage with a viewership rating of 11.1%, according to Nielsen Korea.

According to Forkast, the two leading candidates carried out their presidential campaign on South Korean TV network MBN’s metaverse. Both were presented in the form of avatars, answering to a virtual panel of citizens who asked questions on unemployment and housing market policies. 

It also mentioned that both candidates made election promises that advocate digital assets to win over younger, crypto-savvy voters. 

Other channels, such as SBS, also did entertaining election coverage. A Twitter thread by @TheAPJournalist showed the election’s quick count coverage which incorporates surreal 3D animation graphics with high production value.

In the first segment, the top two presidential candidates, Yoon Suk-yeol and Lee Jae-myung, are competing in an epic winter sport. They then proceed to a spy-like mission where they are required to chase a card. 

It gets weirder as the animated presidential candidates are then riding the famous Korean amusement ride, the disco pang-pang. SBS then makes it seem like the two candidates are competing in weekly K-Pop music shows.   

It doesn’t stop there. In the next scene, SBS presented the candidates in a “Mad Max” parody where they ride cool vehicles in a desert with full armour while dancing to aespa’s hit song “Next Level”. 

They then take a rest while having a romantic campfire with Yoon Suk-yeol playing a guitar. After that, both candidates are stargazing on a beach until morning where they watch the sunrise together.

A netizen @jeongsteph commented, “Extreme squid game vibes from Korean election broadcast on national TV.” User @carlasabreu_ said that it is an example of “interactive journalism”.