• Journal of Korea Society of Digital Industry and Information Management
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.85-101
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• 2021

This study aims to gain insight through understanding the Metaverse, which has recently become a hot topic. The study utilizes the methods of case study and News Bigdata Analysis Services. The Metaverse can be defined as a world with no separation between the virtual and real worlds. Currently, the Metaverse is dominated mainly by the MZ generation, but just like smartphones have quickly entered our lives, the Metaverse will soon, too, become a part of our lives. To follow up on this change, all companies, including global companies, are going after the Metaverse. Today, the Metaverse is successfully being used in all types of fields, including gaming, performing arts, business, etc., and its essential technologies include VR/AR/MR/XR and AI. This study intends to help understand the Metaverse through a case analysis of Zepeto, which has 200 million users worldwide. On Zepeto, users can decorate their own avatars, hang out with friends, go to art galleries and performances, and create and sell items. Of these users, 90% are from outside of South Korea, and 80% are teenagers. With most of the users being underage, many legal and social problems also follow. Nevertheless, who will be the first to conquer the new world of the Metaverse will continue to be a big issue. This study also analyzes domestic news articles about the Metaverse by utilizing the BigKinds system. Starting in 1996, the number of articles about the Metaverse each year remains single digit, until in 2020 when the number sharply rises to 86 news. As of June 2021, there are 1,663 articles on the Metaverse. This study suggests that the Metaverse should now be carefully examined and closely followed.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.50-65
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• 2024

By analyzing the style of creator avatars in the world of Metaverse, which is emerging as a fourth-generation social media platform, this study aims to identify the meta-fashion tastes of Generation Z (Gen Z) creators (born in the late 2010s and early 2020s) and to analyze the extent to which current trends in the fashion market are influencing meta-fashion. The research method uses a case study to compare meta-fashion and current fashion trends. First, five Gen Z fashion creators on ZEPETO were selected to analyze the meta-fashion styles presented by this group. In the end, a total of 100 fashion styles were analyzed by combining 50 items each from the current meta-fashion and real fashion trends. The fashion styles were found to be hip-hop, easy-casual, punk, lovely feminine, and sexy, and the main fashion items were analyzed as jeans, hip-hop style pants, sneakers, tight crop tops, dresses, tattoos, chain accessories, and dyeing. Meta-fashion is the emergence of items similar in shape to those popular in the current fashion market, but are more exaggerated or show off the human body than actual fashion items.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.739-744
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• 2023

With the popularization of 5G networks and the development of AI (artificial intelligence) technology, Metaverse, which creates production capacity by combining virtual space and reality, is attracting attention. In this study, we searched for makeup applications with more than 100 million downloads from October 11, 2020 to November 3, 2020 through the Google Play Store. As a result of the search, four applications were found: YouCam Makeup, YouCam Perfect, Beauty Plus, and Sweet Snap. Based on the functions provided by the four applications, we attempted to suggest makeup functions applicable to Zepeto's avatar. Functions for the eyes (eyeliner, eyelashes, mascara, eye shadow, eye shape, eyebrow shape, lenses, double eyelids), functions for the nose (nose shape), functions for the mouth (lipstick, lip shape, smile function) ) Functions corresponding to the facial contour (contour, skin foundation, blusher, shading, highlighter, face painting, theme makeup) and functions corresponding to the body (body adjustment) were proposed. This study is the first in the beauty field to propose a method of applying the functions of the Metaverse platform as the importance of digital platforms is highlighted, and is the first to propose a makeup function applied to the Metaverse so that it can be used as important basic data in the future.

• Journal of Fashion Business
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.85-98
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• 2023

People nowadays must adapt to and live with a new software idea known as the "Metaverse" due to an inevitable shift in lifestyle brought on by pandemic effects. However, since the Covid-19 became an endemic, the enthusiasm towards the metaverse platform decreased significantly. But the potential of the metaverse remains a significant area of interest. Experiencing developments in technology can serve as a substantial lesson for the future. Notable metaverse platforms in the Republic of Korea so far include domestic companies such as ZEPETO, IFLAND, ZEP, and the Singaporean company BONDEE. Various metaverse platforms are being launched, and various studies are proceeding. However, there is still value in research specifically analyzed in the field of fashion. In this study, by comparing and analyzing the fashion design on the metaverse platforms ZEPETO, IFLAND, ZEP, and BONDEE, which are well-known in the Republic of Korea, metaverse fashion can be categorized into three types: 'Daily Type,' 'Costume Type,' and 'Unrealistic Type.' Analyzing these types revealed three characteristics of metaverse fashion design: realizable, playfulness, and expressiveness. This study holds significance in gaining foresight and a consistent interest in metaverse fashion by comparing and analyzing the fashion designs of well-known metaverse platforms in Korea.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.22 no.9
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• pp.179-193
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• 2022

Amid the explosive growth of various metaverse platforms, there is no unified indicator to measure, analyze, and evaluate based on customer experience. Therefore, the usability evaluation factors in metaverse were identified through a heuristic methodology and literature review, to evaluate the metaverse, a two-to three-dimensional virtual world platform. A measurable system was established by subdividing 20 items in 5 fields, including user control, information structure, design and content, and usage environment, derived through Delphi technique. Based on this, after experiencing the actual contents of major metaverse platforms such as Roblox and Zepeto, usability was evaluated and comparative verification was conducted. As a result, it was estimated that metaverse user experience could be improved as its utility was derived relatively high in terms of user control and content. This study constitutes a theoretical contribution by extending the usability evaluation system, which has been widely used in the field of service design, to the fields of extended reality and mixed reality. At the same time, it has practical key findings of providing basic judgment standards to stakeholders in the metaverse field, as well as policy implications for digital capability enhancement and industry revitalization.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.617-625
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• 2022

This study attempted to compare and analyze metaverse platforms according to their functions. The five metaverse platform was selected and comparatively analyzed through in-depth interviews with experts. As a result of the research, first, Roblox allows you to create and customize your own avatar, provides studio functions for free, and allows you to enjoy private games with friends. Second, Zepeto can create an avatar with one selfie and provides a creative studio function. Third, in Fortnite, it is possible to create in-game characters, purchase and wear items provided in the game, and play games with friends in Creative Mode. Fourth, in Gather Town, networking with users in virtual space is possible, and your own avatar customization and desired virtual space template are provided. Finally, Facebook Horizon participates in the virtual world Horizon with its own avatar that you decorate yourself, and it can function as a world builder, and you can set up a billboard in virtual reality or a virtual store. The value of this study provided a theoretical basis that can be applied to the future industry through the characteristics of the metaverse platform.

• Journal of The Korean Association of Information Education
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.219-227
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• 2022

Students are always preparing for remote classes while taking face-to-face classes due to COVID-19. However, it is true that the class satisfaction with distance learning is not high for students and teachers. The idea that even if remote classes are conducted at home, it would be nice to have classes together like real ones, the need for a virtual world education program that utilizes augmented reality and virtual reality based on the metaverse has emerged. However, there are very few studies that teachers try to apply them to their classes. In this study, a metaverse application curriculum was presented for elementary science and 'space' domains. To implement the metaverse, ZEPETO and COSPACIS EDU were used. In the analysis of content creation with students and evaluation with schoolmates, this study showed that the concentration of learning was increased and creativity improved in the 'real', 'individual', and 'society' domains.

• Journal of Industrial Convergence
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.7-15
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• 2022

Recently, due to the development of AI and big data technologies following the advent of the era of the 4th Industrial Revolution, the emerging metaverse industry is emerging as a new business, and in particular, from this point of view, this paper analyzes the history of metaverse and the pros and cons of "Geppetto", which is the most popular in the Korean metaverse market, and aims to give an appropriate direction for future development based on this. In order to carry out this study, we first used SWOT analysis techniques as an initial enterprise analysis method to examine the strengths and weaknesses, opportunities and threat requirements, and derive the status of each factor. Based on the factors in each of the subsequent derivatives, we wanted to explore the TOWS development strategy and present significant implications based on this.

• The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
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• v.8 no.5
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• pp.583-589
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• 2022

Due to COVID-19, which has thrown the whole world into chaos, it has become an era where many technologies and contents are made non-face-to-face. At the same time, the popularity of the metaverse service is also increasing day by day, and the virtual costume (avatar) industry, one of the sub-industries, is also growing. In this study, we designed and developed a system for creating virtual costumes to be uploaded to ZEPETO, a mobile metaverse service. Unlike the existing service that requires a program that operates in a PC environment, it can be produced only by shooting and simple operation through a mobile device. With the advantage of being able to process all tasks of this system in a mobile environment, small businesses and individual operators who are not familiar with external programs will be able to more easily access the 3D virtual clothing industry.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.704-714
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• 2023

This study explores how avatar customization influences the continuous intention to use the metaverse, mediated by self-expansion. The moderating effects of self-efficacy between avatar customization and self-expansion are also explored. Data were collected through an online survey using consumer panels. Participants were Zepeto users aged 18 or older who had used the platform within the previous six months. They were asked to recall a recent shopping experience of exploring the virtual fashion store via Zepeto. A total of 196 valid responses from participants were analyzed using SPSS 26.0 for descriptive statistics, reliability analysis, and PROCESS procedure, and AMOS 23.0 for confirmatory factor analysis. Results demonstrate that avatar customization increases continuous intention to use the metaverse; this effect is mediated by self-expansion. The moderated mediation effect of self-efficacy in the indirect path was significant and mediated by self-expansion. Specifically, the interplay effect of avatar customization and self-efficacy on self-expansion was statistically significant. For participants with high self-efficacy, avatar customization increases self-expansion, and it mediates the relationship between avatar customization and the continuous intention to use the metaverse. Findings contribute to expanding the literature on metaverse usage by testing the impact of avatar customization on self-expansion.