VANK, headed by Park Gi-tae, announced on May 18, 2026, that it is launching a campaign to modernize public transportation announcement systems in an effort to promote regional identity and preserve local traditions ahead of South Korea’s 9th Nationwide Local Elections scheduled for June 3, 2026.
The initiative marks the fourth project under VANK’s “We Are AI Lawmakers” campaign, which encourages citizens to take part in policymaking by using artificial intelligence as a policy assistant and proposing ideas aimed at shaping the country’s future.
At the heart of the project is a proposal to add short introductions highlighting local history and culture to announcement broadcasts at train stations and bus terminals across the country. VANK said the goal is to redefine transportation hubs not merely as transit points, but as gateways to regional cultural experiences.
The organization noted that most current announcements are limited to basic information such as, “This stop is ○○ Station.” Instead, it proposed incorporating phrases reflecting local identity and storytelling, including messages such as, “Welcome to Namwon, the home of pansori and the classic tale Chunhyangjeon,” and “Welcome to Gyeongju, a city preserving a thousand years of Silla history.”
The campaign also places particular emphasis on the use of AI voice synthesis technology. VANK said it envisions creating what it described as “the most Korean-style local branding model suited for the digital era” by featuring voices modeled after local historical figures, independence activists, or residents speaking in regional dialects.
Park Gi-tae said national image and cultural identity are increasingly shaped through everyday spaces such as search engines and public information systems. He added that the campaign aims to become a participatory project in which citizens directly connect everyday issues to policymaking and help design South Korea’s future strategies together.
Choi Joo-eun, a youth researcher at VANK, said tourism is fundamentally about deeply experiencing the unique history and culture of a region. She described the proposal as a “low-cost, high-efficiency” practical alternative capable of instilling pride among local residents while leaving visitors with a strong first impression without requiring large-scale budgets.
VANK said it plans to gather public feedback before formally proposing the policy to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Korea Railroad Corporation (KORAIL), and local governments nationwide. The organization also said it intends to continue promoting campaigns that connect regional culture and public diplomacy in the AI era.