KT blends AI, nostalgia for World Cup push

KT Corp. employees display custom caricatures created by an artificial intelligence-powered robotic arm during a promotional event Monday at the company's national football team pop-up exhibition in central Seoul. Courtesy of KT

For a generation of Koreans, the phrase "Red Devils" evokes a singular, collective memory: a sea of crimson shirts clogging the streets of Seoul during the country’s historic 2002 World Cup run. Now, as the 2026 FIFA World Cup approaches, Korea’s telecom giant KT is betting that the future of football fandom lies at the intersection of nostalgia and artificial intelligence (AI).

In partnership with the Korea Football Association, KT has transformed its Gwanghwamun Building West in central Seoul into a sprawling national team pop-up exhibition. The venue, dubbed KT Onmaru, represents a calculated attempt by the carrier to merge generational memories with modern consumer technology, anchoring the soccer tournament's hype cycle in the heart of the capital through the end of the tournament.

The corporate showcase relies heavily on the integration of artificial intelligence to draw younger digital natives. Visitors can interact with an "AX Robot Drawing" installation, which uses an AI-powered robotic arm to instantly sketch custom caricatures from personal photographs. Nearby, a photo-generation booth uses the generative editing capabilities of Samsung’s flagship Galaxy S26 smartphone, allowing fans to use text prompts to splice themselves into customized, AI-composed cheering images.

Yet, the exhibition’s true target is the multigenerational family.

The high-tech interactive zones — including a massive digital media wall that displays real-time cheering text from visitors — sit directly alongside an archive of physical memorabilia. Signed national team jerseys, official match balls, and rare trophies are paired with a retrospective photo gallery documenting the highs and lows of Korean football from 2002 to 2022.

The venue itself normally functions as a retro-technology museum showcasing vintage pagers and early dial-up internet systems, a backdrop that corporate executives hope will bridge the gap between older fans and a new era of supporters.

"We designed this space to give customers of all generations a place to share in the collective excitement of the North American World Cup," said Kim Dong-hoon, vice president of public relations at KT.

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.