ChatGPT's Map of South Korea... Daejeon is Seongsimdang, Gwangju Only Has the Taegeukgi? [No-Fun Cities]

[No Fun, Searching for the Fun in the City]
<1> Asking ChatGPT About the 'No Fun City' Image
"Draw Daejeon" Request Highlights Bakery 'Seongsimdang'
Ulsan Shows Hyundai, Gwangju Displays Taegeukgi, Cheongju Features Airplane and Train

Editor's NoteAre you familiar with the so-called 'No-fun cities'? These are cities lacking in entertainment, sightseeing, and activities, making locals bored and deterring visitors from other regions. Since 2019, the term 'No-fun city' has been used on social media platforms to describe various cities. What started as a humorous 'meme' has evolved into local governments in places like Daejeon, Ulsan, Gwangju, and Cheongju launching 'Fun City Creation Projects.' Are cities labeled as 'No-fun' truly dull and boring? What makes a city fun? We aim to explore the places and spaces where we live.

Reporter: "What famous things come to mind when you think of Daejeon?"

ChatGPT: "Sungsimdang: The most famous bakery in Daejeon, offering a variety of breads and desserts. The fried soboro bread is especially popular."

An image generated by instructing ChatGPT with "Draw the image of Daejeon as you imagine it."

We asked the generative AI ChatGPT, "Please draw the image you have of Daejeon." Within seconds, ChatGPT displayed an illustration on the screen. At the center of Daejeon, as drawn by ChatGPT, was the bakery 'Sungsimdang,' spelled out in English letters as 'SUNG SIM DANG.' The bakery was depicted with about five or six loaves of bread on its roof. Since ChatGPT likely learned about Daejeon online, often referred to as 'Sungsim Metropolitan City,' this was perhaps inevitable.

"There is nowhere to go except Sungsimdang." In 2014, a controversy about boring cities, or so-called 'No-fun cities,' began on social media. Starting from the question, 'A friend is coming to visit Daejeon, what should I do?' the visit plan among young people ended up being just a trip to Sungsimdang, spreading as a meme on the internet.

Other 'No-fun city' images drawn by ChatGPT

We also asked ChatGPT to draw images of Ulsan, Gwangju, and Cheongju, which have launched 'Fun City Creation Projects.' ChatGPT depicted Ulsan as a true 'industrial city.'

Next to the Taehwa River, it drew a factory with the Hyundai Motor logo, and behind it, factory chimneys emitting smoke between apartment buildings. The illustration also included a large park with a lake, seemingly representing the Taehwa River National Garden. ChatGPT described Ulsan as "an important industrial city in South Korea," adding that the image captured "a harmonious blend of nature, industry, and modern urban life."

An image generated by instructing ChatGPT with "Draw the image of Ulsan as you imagine it."

An image generated by instructing ChatGPT with "Draw the image of Gwangju as you perceive it."

For Gwangju, ChatGPT omitted evaluations like Ulsan's "industrial city of South Korea" and simply described it as "one of South Korea's representative cities with various famous features." The image was filled with Taegeukgi flags, likely representing Gwangju as the birthplace of the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement. In the background, Mudeungsan Mountain was depicted, and in the foreground, the Tteokgalbi street near Songjeong Station, known for its restaurants, was illustrated. ChatGPT emphasized, "The image vividly expresses Gwangju's history, culture, and natural beauty, including the Gwangju Democratization Movement Memorial. I hope this image allows people to feel the city's diverse charms."

An image generated by instructing ChatGPT with "Draw the image of Cheongju as you imagine it."

Regarding Cheongju, ChatGPT drew an airplane in the middle of the Musimcheon stream flowing through the city, symbolizing Cheongju Airport. Next to it, a long railway was depicted to emphasize its role as a transportation hub. ChatGPT gave a vague evaluation, stating, "Cheongju is a city located in Chungcheongbuk-do and is famous in various aspects."

The images of 'No-fun cities' drawn by ChatGPT showed a lack of detailed information. For example, it included a Ferris wheel in Daejeon, where none exists, and depicted Cheongju University larger than Cheongju Airport, providing unrealistic or entirely inaccurate information. This reflects the scarcity of symbolic 'fun' elements in these regions, causing distortions or gaps in AI-generated images based on big data.

An image generated by instructing ChatGPT with "Draw the image of Seoul as you imagine it."

An image generated by instructing ChatGPT with "Draw the image of Yangyang as you imagine."

On the other hand, cities popular among young people for their 'fun'?such as Seoul, Busan, Yangyang, and Jeju?were depicted differently by ChatGPT. When drawing Seoul, ChatGPT included representative landmarks like Gyeongbokgung Palace, Dongdaemun Design Plaza, Namsan Seoul Tower, Myeongdong, Bukchon Hanok Village, Hongdae, Cheonggyecheon Stream, Insadong, and the Han River, explaining, "I hope the image well expresses Seoul's diverse charm and beauty." Yangyang in Gangwon-do was illustrated with surfers at Jukdo Beach, the beautiful scenery of Naksansa Temple, the lush nature of Seoraksan National Park, and the lively atmosphere of the Yangyang Pine Mushroom Festival, fitting for a surfers' paradise.

An image generated by instructing ChatGPT with "Draw the image of Busan as you imagine it."

An image generated by instructing ChatGPT with "Draw the image of Jeju as you imagine it."

When asked to draw Busan, ChatGPT included famous spots such as Haeundae Beach, Gwangandaegyo Bridge, Gamcheon Culture Village, Jagalchi Market, Haedong Yonggungsa Temple, and Busan Tower, capturing Busan's vibrant atmosphere and beautiful scenery. Jeju was depicted with Hallasan Mountain, haenyeo (female divers), dol hareubang statues, citrus orchards, beaches, Jeju Olle Trail, and Jeju black pork. ChatGPT also noted Jeju's beautiful nature and unique culture.

Seongsimdang, a representative attraction of Daejeon, is crowded with customers, but the neighboring shopping street in Eunhaeng-dong, Daejeon, is quiet. Photo by Heo Yeonghan

Daejeon, Ulsan, Gwangju, and Cheongju: Representative No-fun Cities... Why?

The term 'No-fun city,' presumed to have first appeared online in the mid-2010s, rapidly spread in 2014 with the Sungsimdang meme on social media and coincided with the 'Year of Visiting Daejeon' in 2019.

Netizens started labeling various cities as 'No-fun cities,' beginning with Daejeon. According to an analysis by the big data service 'SomeTrend' of SNS posts including blogs from January 1, 2021, to July 26, 2024, the top five regions associated with 'No-fun city' included Daejeon, Ulsan, Gwangju, Cheongju, and Seoul. Considering Seoul was likely mentioned as a comparison point for fun in other cities, the actual number of cities labeled as 'No-fun' was four.

Asia Economy conducted a comprehensive analysis of press and promotional materials released by 17 metropolitan cities and provinces and 226 local governments from June 2022, when the 8th local government term began, to last month, focusing on items containing the keywords 'No-fun' or 'Fun.' This was to identify regions using these terms as core policy keywords. The analysis narrowed down to only four cities?Daejeon, Ulsan, Gwangju, and Cheongju?that issued materials containing these keywords more than 20 times. These cities were frequently mentioned on SNS as boring places.

The mayors of the four cities stigmatized as 'No-fun cities' pledged during the June 2022 nationwide local elections to create 'Fun Cities.' They have been actively investing budgets to transform their cities by building large-scale landmarks and organizing festivals as part of ongoing Fun City projects.

While the label 'No-fun city' has faced criticism for emphasizing the backward image of local areas, it also attracts tourists curious to see if the city is truly boring. Moreover, it stimulates local governments' efforts to find 'fun,' thereby transforming cities. The term 'No-fun city' has sparked a nationwide discussion in South Korea on "What makes a city fun?"

▶Next article: What is the 'No-fun city' meme that sparked both controversy and attention on SNS?