Visualizing Kimchi through AI: Student-Generated Posters and the Representation of Korean Culinary Heritage

Author : Morgan Mokwon Park

Abstract : This paper examines how university students visually represent kimchi as a form of Korean culinary heritage through AI-generated poster design. Developed in an international classroom context, the study explores how students transform kimchi from a familiar food item into a broader cultural symbol associated with tradition, identity, health, and national image. The data consist of one page posters created by students using generative AI tools, accompanied by short written explanations of their visual choices, intended audience, and key message. Through qualitative analysis of both visual and verbal elements, the study identifies recurring representational patterns, including kimchi as tradition, kimchi as a healthy fermented food, kimchi as a marker of Korean identity, and kimchi as a globally marketable cultural product. The paper argues that AI-assisted poster production offers a valuable pedagogical and analytical space for examining how culinary heritage is reimagined in contemporary classrooms. More broadly, it shows how food can function as a visual and symbolic medium through which students negotiate cultural meaning in transnational educational settings.

Keywords : Kimchi, Korean culinary heritage, AI-generated posters, visual representation, transnational classroom.

Conference Name : International Conference on Arts, Heritage, and Cultural Landscapes of Asia (ICAHCLA-26)

Conference Place : Mexico City, Mexico

Conference Date : 22nd May 2026