From an artificial intelligence (AI) video of a "baseball stadium goddess" that surpassed 8 million views to a fabricated AI photo claiming to show the missing wolf "Neuk-gu," AI-generated content is exerting growing influence on Korean society. Foreign media have warned that, if left unchecked, the trend could erode people's grasp of reality.
Hong Kong's South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported on Wednesday (local time) under the headline "Lacking a sense of reality: Why South Korea has taken the wrong path on AI." The SCMP cited the recent viral "AI baseball stadium goddess" video and the uproar over AI-synthesized photos during the wolf escape incident in Daejeon.
Earlier this month, a video featuring a woman watching a baseball game went viral on social media and online communities. In the clip, the woman — wearing a white off-shoulder top and jeans, with her legs crossed and absorbed in the game — was hailed by domestic and international netizens as "Korea's baseball goddess."
After the roughly five-second video racked up more than 8 million views in a short time, baseball fans began pointing out signs that it was an AI-fabricated video. The broadcast graphics showed Kim Seo-hyun as the pitcher and Cho In-sung as the batter. But Kim Seo-hyun joined Hanwha in 2023, while Cho In-sung joined the LG Twins in 1998, retired in 2017, and currently works as a coach. Fans noted that "it is impossible for the two players to face each other on the field."
A similar incident occurred last month after a wolf named Neuk-gu escaped from Daejeon Zoo, when AI-fabricated photos claiming to show sightings of the wolf spread online. A man in his 40s, identified by the surname A, who created and distributed the images, was eventually arrested by the cyber investigation unit of the Daejeon Metropolitan Police Agency on charges of obstructing public duties through deception, having hindered the search efforts of police and fire authorities.
Kim Myung-joo, head of the AI Safety Institute, told the SCMP, "In South Korea, where there is a strong cultural interest in appearance and image, AI is acting as a 'distorted mirror' that vicariously satisfies suppressed desires and frustrations." He warned that "excessive immersion in AI can foster escapism and create a vicious cycle that lowers life satisfaction." The problem of AI misuse in Korea has indeed reached a serious level. According to video editing platform Kapwing, Koreans consume the largest amount of "AI slop" — low-quality AI content designed to drive clicks — in the world.
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The SCMP pointed out that AI is also being used as a "political weapon" in Korea. Recently, the operator of an Instagram account that had posted photos of what appeared to be a woman in her 20s alongside political messages such as "Yoon Again" admitted, "I have to apologize," and revealed that he was in fact a man. "I apologize to those who may have felt betrayed," he said before deleting the account. Hwang Hee-doo, a director of the Roh Moo-hyun Foundation, voiced concern that "this method is not merely about attracting attention, but is a textbook propaganda tactic that manufactures fake public opinion," warning that it could undermine social trust.
Jeon Chang-bae, chairman of the International Artificial Intelligence & Ethics Association (IAAE), stressed that "before bigger problems arise, the government, academia, businesses, and citizens must all discuss and research solutions."
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