The image of South Korea overseas

July 4, 2024

SEOUL – I recently came across an intriguing article on alot.com by Ron Winkler, entitled, “AI shows what people actually look like in these 30 countries.” The writer asked an artificial intelligence system what the average person would look like in the 30 included countries, and the article features 30 images of people presented by AI for each country, followed by the writer’s brief comments on them.

AI personifies South Korea as a charming K-pop girl with the background of “the famous neon streets of South Korea.” Winkler writes, “She looks beautiful bathed in the lights of the bustling downtown area, where tourists and locals alike flock.” South Korea has become conspicuous everywhere lately, especially thanks to the worldwide popularity of K-pop and K-drama.

When I traveled to Japan in the mid-’80s, the fabulous neon lights of Ginza fascinated me greatly. On my way back to Korea, I was disappointed by the relatively dim night scene of Seoul that I looked down upon from the plane. Today, things have changed and “the famous neon streets of South Korea” are attracting foreign tourists.

According to the AI, the image of Japan is a geisha, “a female Japanese performing artist and entertainer,” who is “able to sing, dance and play the traditional instrument known as the samisen.” The geisha is merely one of many cultural icons of Japan, such as the samurai, ninja or sushi, and yet in the AI’s eyes, the image of a geisha with an intricate parasol and floral headpiece represents Japan.

Not all countries have female images. For example, the AI version of an American was a cowboy embodying the spirit of America, such as the frontier spirit, independence and freedom. The writer says, “He looks like he isn’t afraid