SEOUL, Oct. 25 (Korea Bizwire) – The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, in collaboration with the Korea Tourism Organization, has unveiled a groundbreaking tourism video, “If Van Gogh Visited Korea,” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPZGxw6Jsrg) generated using cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI).
This innovative project, released on YouTube, introduces viewers to South Korea’s iconic tourist destinations through the unique artistic styles of 11 world-renowned painters. The entire production spanned six months.
This extraordinary video showcases the works of celebrated artists like Van Gogh, depicted in “Starry Night,” Munch’s “Scream,” Monet’s “Water Lilies,” Matisse’s “Dance,” and Klimt’s “Kiss.” It also features the masterpiece “Inwang jesaekdo” by Jung Sun, a pioneering female Western painter in Korea, and works by Na Hye-sok, an influential Korean feminist, poet, writer, painter, educator, and journalist.
“Inwang jesaekdo” is a landscape painting by the renowned Jeong Seon, designated as the 216th National Treasure of Korea, dating back to 1751 during the reign of Joseon Dynasty King Yeongjo.
Na Hye-sok holds a significant place in Korean history as the first female professional painter and the first feminist writer in the country.
Guardian’s Fireworks (Image courtesy of Korea Tourism Organization)
The generative AI technology used in this project involved amassing over 1,100 images of the painters’ works, subjecting the AI to more than 80,000 training sessions for each work. In addition, the organization captured over 1,600 photographs of Korean landscapes to further enrich the AI dataset.
To ensure copyright compliance, the project focused on artists whose works have entered the public domain (more than 70 years old) and consulted with legal experts.
Furthermore, the Korea Tourism Organization has released three regional tourism promotional videos inspired by global K-content.
The organization also unveiled “Korea Never Forgets Gratitude,” a heartwarming tale based on the real-life story of the Campagna couple. The Campagnas provided assistance to a Korean tourist stranded during a snowstorm in the United States last winter.
In recognition of their kindness, the couple was invited to visit Korea by the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO). This invitation stemmed from a story involving nine Korean tourists stranded in Buffalo, New York, during a heavy snowstorm in December, who found refuge in the Campagnas’ home for two days and three nights.
The “Korea Never Forgets Gratitude” video chronicles the Campagnas’ journey to Korea in a documentary format and conveys the message that “Korea never forgets a grateful heart.”
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
