Hello! This is Realworld, a playable content platform.
Last February, when the snow had not yet fully melted, we were invited by the National Heritage Administration to deliver a lecture as part of the 'Historical and Cultural Zone Understanding Course (1st cohort)' education program! This lecture went beyond simple theoretical delivery to share regional revitalization cases based on content, and it was a precious opportunity to meet with practitioners responsible for actual work in various regions across Korea.
When it comes to regional revitalization through 'content' and 'utilization,' Realworld couldn't be left out, right? Therefore, we took charge of the 'Content Development and Cultural Heritage Utilization Cases' lecture for the 'Historical and Cultural Zone Understanding Course (1st cohort)' conducted at the Traditional Culture Education Center of Korea National University of Cultural Heritage.
Before we begin our story, the term 'Historical and Cultural Zone' might sound unfamiliar to you!
'Historical and Cultural Zone' refers to regions that have formed and developed unique identities through the production and accumulation of historically important tangible and intangible heritage. Representative examples include the 'Goguryeo Historical and Cultural Zone' where Goguryeo-era ruins and artifacts are distributed, the 'Baekje Historical and Cultural Zone' from the Baekje period, and the 'Silla Historical and Cultural Zone' from the Silla period.
The 'National Heritage Administration,' previously known as the Cultural Heritage Administration, changed its name in May 2024 and established the Historical and Cultural Zone Division to exclusively handle major policies and systems related to historical and cultural zones, beginning to actively pursue development projects for regional coexistence. Beyond simple preservation and maintenance, they aimed for the mutual growth of cultural heritage and regions. In particular, they focus on re-examining and reconstructing non-designated cultural heritage, and transforming spaces into facility and content-centered areas where people can gather. The policy has shifted from simple preservation to a 'utilization-centered' approach.
Spaces alone don't attract visitors!
When there's content to enjoy in a space, people will come
As this was a 3-hour education session, we introduced various domestic and international cases of content development and cultural heritage utilization.
The core message was 'content suitable for spaces, and spaces designed with content in mind.' Many local governments want "spaces that people voluntarily visit and stay in." However, they often focus only on creating the physical space itself, lacking consideration for what actually draws people in. They invest massive budgets to complete the hardware, but this alone often fails to generate sustained interest and visits. Ultimately, what breathes life into a space is the stories it contains and the content people can participate in.
Introducing cases alone might not be enough to understand the importance of content, right? So, to allow direct experience of the lecture's message within the education venue, we conducted a mini program called <Word Treasure Hunt> on-site!
[Interactive Content] Word Treasure Hunt
Although we had limited time and ran it briefly, everyone actively moved around to find the QR codes. This type of interactive content goes beyond simple games—it has the power to move people and serves as an effective method to naturally convey the intended message.
Key words for attracting visitors: 'Narrative' and 'Role'
There are two keywords I emphasize whenever I give lectures: 'narrative and role.' To attract visitors, we need stories tied to regions or specific places—that is, 'narrative'—and we must give visitors 'roles' that allow them to become 'protagonists' within those stories. People no longer consider simply looking and passing by as an experience. They feel enjoyment only when there are experiences that allow direct participation, movement, and immersion. Therefore, it's difficult to expect visitor attraction with just pretty, well-built spaces alone.
As part of the Historical and Cultural Zone Development (Promotion) Project, the National Heritage Administration selected four cities—Gangneung, Naju, Haenam, and Haman—as pilot project sites in 2024, allocating budgets for historic site maintenance and space creation. They also announced plans to continuously expand this project and invest budgets in more regions in the future. For regions to grow alongside cultural heritage, 'attracting visitors' is key. Therefore, I emphasized that space composition strategies centered on content, rather than simple space creation, must be prioritized.
This education session went beyond merely introducing cases—it was a time to propose ways to shift cultural heritage from preservation to utilization. The keywords 'narrative and role' and 'participatory content' are core principles that move people and bring spaces to life, which we felt once again.
Moving forward, Realworld will continue to contemplate and implement ways for regions to shine on their own through content that breathes life into heritage and spaces throughout the country.