AI draws Gyeongbokgung as a Japanese castle — young Koreans fight back with content

As generative AI spreads, concerns are growing over information distortion in digital spaces — and a group of young Koreans has taken action, hunting down errors about Korean cultural heritage and correcting them through digital content.

The National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage under the Cultural Heritage Administration and the cyber diplomatic mission Vank jointly announced that the second cohort of their "Global AI Cultural Heritage Ambassador" program completed a monthlong run from June 29 to July 26.

The 76 youth participants in the second cohort collected cases of errors and distortions related to Korean cultural heritage found in generative AI outputs, then produced their own digital content to spread accurate information.

While searching for cultural heritage sites using generative AI, participants uncovered errors such as the fountain in front of Deoksugung's Seokjojeon hall being rendered as a pond resembling Buyongji in Changdeokgung's rear garden. They also produced content to counter such distortions: a short-form video imagining whale hunting while exploring the rock carvings at Bangucheon, a card news post alerting viewers to distorted cultural heritage information, and a podcast introducing the Tomb of King Muryeong in four languages — Korean, English, Chinese and Spanish.

The National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage and Vank selected 19 outstanding participants from the second cohort. Those honorees will be offered a field trip to cultural heritage sites in September as well as the opportunity to participate in a results-sharing event.

"We will continue to provide support and opportunities for participation so that the next generation can grow into leaders who properly uphold the value of our cultural heritage and share it with the world," the National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage said.