Abstract

Purpose: The study explores the application of the metaverse by cities in South Korea and offers insights for more effective strategies in city management and citizen relationship management. It addresses the following research questions: 1) how do awareness of the metaverse, perceived city brand value, civil services, emotional responses, user experience, information usefulness, customized services, immersive communication, and economic, social, and cultural values vary across different cities? 2) how do attitude, intention to use, citizen satisfaction, loyalty, quality of life, prospect, and applications for customer relationship management differ across cities? and 3) how do attitude, intention to use, and citizen satisfaction differ across cities with demographic variables? Research design, data and methodology: This study conducted an online survey targeting residents of metropolitan cities in South Korea. To test the hypotheses, ANOVA and MANOVA were applied. Results: The findings reveal significant differences across cities in the effects of perspectives on awareness of the metaverse, perceived city brand value, public services, emotional responses, experience levels, information usefulness, customized services, communication applications, and economic, social, and cultural values. Conclusions: The results provide valuable managerial and policy insights for implementing the metaverse application in urban settings, emphasizing improved city management and enhanced citizen relationship management strategies.