‘Soul Spots,’ an initiative that uses artificial intelligence to guide visitors through locations featured in popular Korean dramas, films, and music videos (Image courtesy of Seoul City)
SEOUL, Sept. 26 (Korea Bizwire) – In a novel approach to blend pop culture tourism with cutting-edge technology, the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on September 25 the launch of ‘Soul Spots,’ an initiative that uses artificial intelligence to guide visitors through locations featured in popular Korean dramas, films, and music videos.
These ‘Soul Spots,’ named to evoke the spirit of the characters who inhabited these spaces in various K-content productions, will be marked by plaques featuring QR codes.
When scanned with a smartphone, these codes will provide multilingual AI-powered audio guides, offering insights into the location’s role in Korean entertainment.
The city plans to install these plaques at 30 locations, chosen through a rigorous selection process involving big data analysis, global popularity surveys, and expert panel reviews. The initial phase will see 13 spots marked, including
The Hyundai Seoul and the Korean Stone Art Museum, featured in “Queen of Tears,” and Gwangtonggyo, a bridge spanning the Cheonggyecheon Stream that appeared in “Marry My Husband.”
Other notable locations in the first rollout include Nodeul Island, Seokchon Lake from “Crash Course in Romance,” and sites from hit series like “Reborn Rich,” “Vincenzo,” “Hotel Del Luna,” and “Crash Landing on You.”
The audio guides, voiced by MBC announcer Kim Dae-ho using AI voice synthesis technology, will be available in Korean, English, Chinese, and Japanese.
The content, curated with input from pop culture critic Jung Duk-hyun, will feature iconic quotes, behind-the-scenes stories, and information about the locations and nearby attractions.
“This initiative aims to enhance Seoul’s appeal by allowing visitors and residents to engage with the city’s role in creating globally popular content,” said a spokesperson for the Seoul Metropolitan Government. “We’re starting with drama locations and plan to expand to movie and K-pop sites in the future.”
To promote the ‘Soul Spots,’ the city has partnered with entertainment channel tvN for an online running event from October 4 to 18. Participants will have the chance to win exclusive running packs through a lottery.
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
