I asked generative AI ChatGPT, "Can you draw the image of Daejeon as you imagine it?" Within seconds, ChatGPT displayed an illustration on the screen (top image). At the center of Daejeon as drawn by ChatGPT was the bakery "Sungsimdang," with its name written in English letters. The bakery was depicted with five or six loaves of bread on its roof. ChatGPT, having deep-learned Daejeon's online nickname "Sungsim Metropolitan City," naturally chose this representation.

"There's nowhere to go except Sungsimdang." The debate over Daejeon being a boring city, or "Nojaem City," began on social networking services (SNS) in 2014. It started with the question, "What should I do when a friend visits Daejeon?" and always ended with a visit to Sungsimdang, which became a meme among young people.

I also asked ChatGPT to illustrate Ulsan, Gwangju, and Cheongju, which have launched "Fun City Projects" like Daejeon. ChatGPT depicted Ulsan as a true "industrial city."

The illustration showed a factory with the Hyundai Motor logo next to the Taehwa River, and in the background, factory chimneys emitting smoke between apartment buildings. The image also included a wide park with a lake, seemingly representing the Taehwa River National Garden. ChatGPT described Ulsan as "an important industrial city in Korea," adding, "I tried to capture the harmony of nature, industry, and modern urban life in the image."

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For Gwangju, ChatGPT skipped any industrial city evaluation and simply said, "It is one of Korea's representative cities with many famous things." The image was filled with Taegeukgi (Korean national flags), likely representing the birthplace of the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement. In the background was Mudeungsan, and in the foreground, the famous Tteokgalbi Street near Songjeong Station was depicted. ChatGPT emphasized, "The image vividly expresses Gwangju's history, culture, and natural beauty, including the Gwangju Democratization Movement Memorial. I hope you can feel the city's diverse charms through this image."

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For Cheongju, ChatGPT drew an airplane in the middle of Musimcheon, which flows through the city, representing Cheongju Airport. Next to it was a long stretch of railway, emphasizing the city's role as a transportation hub. ChatGPT gave a vague evaluation, saying, "Cheongju is a city located in Chungcheongbuk-do and is famous for various reasons."

The images of "Nojaem Cities" drawn by ChatGPT revealed a lack of specific information. For example, it drew a Ferris wheel in Daejeon, which doesn't actually have one, and depicted Cheongju University as larger than Cheongju Airport, providing unrealistic or inaccurate details. This shows that the lack of symbolic "fun" elements in each region leads to distortions or gaps in AI-generated images based on big data.

In contrast, cities popular among young people for their "fun" factor, such as Seoul, Busan, Yangyang, and Jeju, were depicted differently by ChatGPT. For Seoul, ChatGPT said, "The image includes major landmarks such as Gyeongbokgung, Dongdaemun Design Plaza, Namsan Seoul Tower, Myeongdong, Bukchon Hanok Village, Hongdae, Cheonggyecheon, Insadong, and the Han River. I hope the vibrant charm and beauty of Seoul are well represented." For Yangyang in Gangwon-do, as a surfer's paradise, it depicted surfers at Jukdo Beach, the scenic beauty of Naksansa, the blue nature of Seoraksan National Park, and the lively atmosphere of the Yangyang Pine Mushroom Festival.

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When asked to illustrate Busan, ChatGPT included Haeundae Beach, Gwangan Bridge, Gamcheon Culture Village, Jagalchi Market, Haedong Yonggungsa, and Busan Tower, saying these are the city's main attractions and that the image captures Busan's lively atmosphere and beautiful scenery. For Jeju, it included Hallasan, haenyeo (female divers), dolharubang (stone statues), tangerine orchards, beaches, Jeju Olle Trail, and Jeju black pork, explaining that Jeju is known for its beautiful nature and unique culture.

Seongsimdang, a representative attraction of Daejeon, is crowded with customers, but the adjacent commercial street in Eunhangdong, Daejeon, is quiet. Photo by Heo Younghan

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The term 'Nojaem CityA boring city lacking things to do, see, or enjoy, making it dull for locals and unappealing for visitors.', which is believed to have first appeared online in the mid-2010s, spread rapidly after the Sungsimdang meme went viral on social networking services (SNS) in 2014 and coincided with Daejeon's "Year of Visit" campaign in 2019.

Netizens began labeling various cities as Nojaem Cities, starting with Daejeon. According to big data analysis service SomeTrend, which analyzed blog and SNS posts mentioning Nojaem Cities from January 1, 2021, to last month, the top five regions included Daejeon, Ulsan, Gwangju, Cheongju, and Seoul. Since Seoul is often used as a benchmark to judge other cities' fun factor, it is interpreted that only four cities were actually labeled as Nojaem Cities.

Asia Economy analyzed all press and promotional materials containing the keywords "Nojaem" or "Gguljaem" (meaning "fun") released by 17 metropolitan cities and provinces and 226 local governments from June 2022, when the 8th popularly elected administration began, to last month. This was to identify regions using these terms as core policy keywords. The results showed that only four cities?Daejeon, Ulsan, Gwangju, and Cheongju?had published more than 20 such materials, matching the cities most frequently mentioned as boring on SNS.

The heads of these four cities, stigmatized as Nojaem Cities, pledged to "make them fun cities" during the nationwide local elections in June 2022. Since then, they have continued to pursue Fun City Projects, investing heavily in creating large-scale landmarks and festivals to transform their cities.

While the label "Nojaem City" has faced criticism for reinforcing the image of provincial decline, it has also attracted tourists curious to see if these cities are truly boring. Additionally, it has prompted local governments to work harder to find and promote "fun" elements, leading to efforts to revitalize their cities. In this sense, the term "Nojaem City" has sparked a nationwide conversation in Korea about what makes a city interesting.