Insight Trip _____ Football Faentasium
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Fantastic Encounter of Soccer and IT
Twenty-two players crisscross the vast pitch in pursuit of a ball. Whenever the ball sails into the net, the spectators enthusiastically roar. One of the many reasons so many people around the world are fanatical about soccer is said to be vicarious satisfaction. Watching soccer games, the fans feel as if they were running on the pitch. Those who are no longer satisfied with watching soccer games on television might find this news interesting. Seoul has introduced a space where soccer fans can personally experience and enjoy their favorite sport. With the fantastic synergy effect of soccer and IT, Foot Faentasium presents a fantastic theme park dedicated to soccer.
Soccer Meets Museum [History of Soccer at a Glance]
The 2002 FIFA World Cup Memorial Hall located inside Seoul World Cup Main Stadium was renovated into Football Faentasium.
As Korea’s first experience-based soccer museum, this theme park combines soccer
and information technology to offer a range of exhibitions, experiences, educational programs, and games.
What makes Football Faentasium more special is that the exhibition halls are decorated
as the different rounds of the World Cup tournament.
Immediately after entering the exhibition hall, visitors are welcomed by soccer games played on the large screen,
and the cheerful roars coming out of the speakers instantly bring the visitors to the scenes of World Cup games.
The main exhibition begins in the zone titled “Round 16: Passion.”
This stage provides basic knowledge about soccer, including the sport’s history and organization.
In addition, several monitors show Instagram posts uploaded in real time in relation to global soccer news.
One corner of the space is dedicated to an experience of using color pencils
to take a rubbing of the emblems of each K League soccer club.
Another highlight is an interesting AR game.
Downloading the application called “Find Baekho (White Tiger),” visitors can find
the Korean national team’s mascot hidden in various spots in the exhibition halls.
Soccer Meets Stadium [VR Experience for Various Soccer Content]
The Zone “Round 8: Strategy” is where visitors can directly experience and understand soccer.
Watching the screen, they can try on the uniforms of many national teams in a virtual environment
and take photographs of themselves and send them to their email account.
Now the next step is to actually run on the pitch.
“A Day of Baekho in National Team” contains VR content with 360-degree images of an actual soccer pitch,
allowing visitors to feel as if they are walking onto the pitch as national team members.
The space for vocational experience is a magnet for children.
Young visitors learn about various jobs related to the soccer industry such as referees and commentators.
What might be most popular in Football Faentasium is the zone named “First Touch,”
where visitors can be a goalkeeper or take a corner kick, free kick, or penalty kick enabled by the VR technology
Wearing the VR device and actual goalkeeper gloves, a visitor can become a goalkeeper standing
on the pitch and catch or block shots, or become another player about to take a corner kick.
“Dribble First Touch” is a game that allows participants to dribble the ball
while stepping on honeycomb-patterned sections on the pitch with lighting.
Those who dribble with excellent accuracy will find their names in the ranking list.
It goes without saying that the 2002 World Cup is the vital element of the exhibits,
recalling when the Korean national team went all the way to the semifinals.
The zone titled “Round 4: Dreams Come True” offers a trip through time to 2002,
when the entire nation was united as the Reds, the nickname of the cheering squad.
Former soccer players Ji Sung Park and Young Pyo Lee, the heroes behind the Korean team’s remarkable achievement,
appear in hologram images to provide vivid descriptions of the 2002 World Cup Games and cheering for the games.
One corner of the zone has a space where visitors can sing some of the cheering songs of the Reds.
This exhibition hall also displays a wax figure of former coach Guus Hiddink,
who is still regarded as the most successful coach of the Korean national team,
as well as the uniforms and soccer cleats worn by the members of the national team.
Soccer Meets Fantasy [Glorious Moments and Promising Future for Soccer]
Passing through the tournament from the round of 16 to semifinals, visitors will arrive at the zone of “Final Round: Victory.”
This space displays the vision of the Korea Football Association, some of the most glorious moments,
and profiles of the world’s prominent soccer players.
The exit leads to a zone decorated with the theme “Closing Ceremony.”
A replica of the FIFA World Cup trophy and gold confetti make an ideal background for a souvenir photograph.
“Kids Arena” welcomes young visitors to play mini futsal.
Decorated as a locker room with soccer benches, the café on the opposite side offers refreshments and a convenient space for rest.
Soccer fan or not, all visitors can enjoy the sport at this museum.
Why not have a fantastic time at Football Faentasium, where IT makes soccer even more enjoyable?
