Choi Jung-wha, eight front left in the back row, president of the Corea Image Communication Institute (CICI), poses with winners of the New Korea – Ideas and Korea Image Created by AI contests in the front row, during the Culture Communication Forum 2024 at Grand Hyatt Seoul, Monday. Courtesy of CICI
The Corea Image Communication Institute (CICI) announced the winners of the inaugural contests to find new ideas and artificial intelligence (AI)-generated images to represent Korea during its annual Culture Communication Forum 2024.
The New Korea – Ideas and Korea Image Created by AI contests, held to seek fresh and globally appealing content to portray Korea, received 254 entries over the past two-month period, reflecting the growing interest in Korea and the potential of AI to create compelling visual representations, the CICI said in a statement.
Choi Jung-wha, president of the CICI, said, "Effective communication involves understanding the audience's perspective and tailoring our message accordingly. This principle extends to our efforts to promote Korea's image," highlighting the meaning of this year's event in the opening speech. "Korea will be the place where future cultures come to audition (just like New York)."
This image, created by Kwon Hye-in, a student at Kookmin University, won the top prize in the Korea Image Created by AI contest for its theme of harmony of hanbok tradition and modernity. Courtesy of CICI
The winners were chosen based on onsite voting from a final list of five news ideas and 10 AI-generated images.
Renowned Korean calligrapher Kang Byung-in won the top prize in the New Korea – Ideas category. He envisioned Hangeul, the Korean alphabet, as the driving force behind the third wave of hallyu, or the Korean wave, and proposed an ambitious project to erect Hangeul sculptures, monumental artwork that would serve as a symbol of Korean identity and culture. He garnered 23 votes out of 50.
Chihmao Hsieh, associate professor of entrepreneurship at the State University of New York (SUNY) Korea, received the Excellence Award with the idea of Korean endearing gestures such as finger heart, formed by bringing together the thumb and index finger to create a heart shape, has transcended cultural boundaries and become a ubiquitous symbol of affection.
The Incentive Award went to the team of Jeong Chae-rin and Chon Sung-woo with the idea of a Korean photo booth where people can take photos to create photo stickers.
In the Korea Image Created by AI category, where applicants created images that represent Korea using AI, Kwon Hye-in, a student at Kookmin University, won the top prize with the theme of harmony of hanbok tradition and modernity. Other award winners are images featuring "najeonchilgi," mother-of-pearl lacquerware, and the hit Korean Netflix series "Squid Game" (2021).
Renowned Korean calligrapher Kang Byung-in's idea to erect sculptures of Hangeul, or the Korean alphabet, won the top prize in the "New Korea – Ideas" category. Courtesy of CICI
Some 60 prominent figures, including CJ Chairman Sohn Kyung-shik, Ambassador Hotel Group Chairman Suh Jung-ho, Sejong Center for the Performing Arts CEO Ahn Ho-sang, PMC CEO Song Seung-hwan, Flitto CEO Lee Jung-soo, French Ambassador to Korea Philippe Bertoux, UAE Ambassador to Korea Abdulla Saif Al Nuaimi, Philippine Ambassador to Korea Maria Theresa Dizon-De Vega and Luxembourg Ambassador to Korea Jacques Flies, graced the event.