Korea Labor Foundation launches AI character design contest in July

The Korea Labor Foundation is holding a public contest to find an AI-generated mascot character to represent the organization. The competition is designed to broaden public engagement and raise awareness of the foundation's brand through AI-assisted participation.

The foundation will hold the "Korea Labor Foundation AI Character Design Contest" throughout July, from Wednesday through July 31. The contest aims to find a representative character and name that intuitively captures the foundation's mission — "Happy labor-management relations, vibrant workplaces" — its brand message of "Workplace problems, expert solutions!" and its core projects, including labor-management cooperation, workplace innovation, mid-career employment and international cooperation.

A key feature of the contest is its low barrier to entry: participants are encouraged to use AI tools to create their submissions. Entrants can visit the foundation's website to review its mission and key projects, then design a character reflecting those themes and submit it for consideration.

Any member of the public may enter as an individual, with one submission per person. Entries must be sent by email and include an application form, a character description sheet, and an AI usage log listing the tools and key prompts used.

Submissions will first undergo an eligibility review, followed by a blind evaluation by a panel of internal and external experts assessing originality, quality, brand suitability and practical usability. The grand prize winner will receive the foundation secretary-general's award along with 400,000 won ($259) in Onnuri gift certificates. The top 50 entries will each receive a 10,000-won gift voucher, and 50 additional participants selected by lottery will receive a 5,000-won participation prize. Final results will be announced Aug. 31 on the foundation's website and official social media channels.

Park Jong-pil, secretary-general of the Korea Labor Foundation, said he hopes the contest will help introduce the foundation to the public in a more approachable way and raise awareness of its key projects and role. "The winning character will be actively used in the foundation's online and offline promotional content going forward," he added.