At a ministerial meeting on November 28, South Korea's Ministry of Science and ICT published a set of fundamental ethical guidelines for users and developers of metaverse applications. The ministers' meeting, titled "Metaverse Ethical Principles," was conducted at the Seoul Government Complex in the central of Seoul. The guidelines were presented by the Ministry of Science and ICT.

The directives are designed to ensure that users can reflect their actual selves in a safe virtual world that is inclusive of all members and developed with three basic goals in mind: sincere identity, safe experience, and sustainable prosperity.

Under the three pillars are eight additional principles: authenticity, autonomy, reciprocity, respect for privacy, fairness, personal information protection, inclusion, and responsibility for the future. These guidelines are intended for both metaverse creators and users.

For authenticity, it is advised that developers allow users to portray themselves in ways that are as true to their true selves as possible. Users are also urged to try to understand how their alter egos behave in the virtual and real worlds.

The announcement on Monday comes in response to concerns raised by market and industry experts about the quick development of metaverse platforms and potential criminal activity in the digital world as a result of the absence of restrictions for the recently created services.

Particularly with regard to minors, worries about cyber-sex crimes, fraud, and data piracy have been expressed. The guidelines were created in the hopes of offering a code of conduct for metaverse users and managers to align their actions with, hence the general terminology. However, they are not legally binding. A research team of 12 professionals with backgrounds in ethics, data protection, law, and engineering examined a survey of 2,626 interviewees as well as related information.

“The metaverse will expand and one day become a part of all our everyday lives such as in commerce, education, medical services, and more,” said Park Yun-kyu, second vice minister of science and ICT, in a press release.

“The government will give its full support to make sure that people enjoy a safe metaverse with their sincere identity and that ensures future generations a sustainable prosperity through the metaverse."