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| Courtesy of KOICA |
By Kang Seung-woo
The Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) launched a virtual town on ZEP, a metaverse platform operated by the Korean search portal operator Naver, for young people interested in volunteering overseas or pursuing a career in international development cooperation, Friday. The town is called WFK Town after World Friends Korea (WFK), KOICA's overseas volunteer program.
Amid the global trend of accelerated digitalization, KOICA is supporting the digital transformation of developing countries through various initiatives including e-government projects and building information systems.
In addition, by carrying out remote online volunteer programs, KOICA has incorporated digital aspects into its activities to overcome physical limitations posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
WFK Town was created for interactive communication with people interested in volunteering overseas and development cooperation, and to promote WFK.
WFK Town comprises sections for volunteer recruitment, global leadership and communication, enabling users to gather the latest information and content regarding KOICA's projects in these areas.
A disbandment ceremony was held in the metaverse, Friday, for a WFK youth mid-term volunteer group with the participation of some 200 people, including volunteers and beneficiaries. Each team shared the achievements of their respective projects, which included providing eco-friendly training aid in Cambodia, strengthening the people's capacity as global citizens in Tanzania and holding an online seminar to raise awareness of unexploded ordnance in Laos.
"We have established a communication channel to allow young people interested in international development cooperation to easily access KOICA's projects through the metaverse," said Jeong Hoe-jin, executive director for KOICA's Global Leaders Program. "We will continue to provide various services to support young people as they embark on careers in international development cooperation."
In the second half of this year, the metaverse town will also host an information fair for aspiring volunteers and young professionals, advising those pursuing careers in international development cooperation and offering other dynamic content for visitors to experience KOICA's Global Leaders Program.
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