SITUATION
K-Culture now has become a mainstream culture, no stranger to global market.
K-Culture has become an everyday part of global culture, no longer a foreign concept. Alongside the spread of Korean culture across music, TV series, fashion, and beauty, interest and awareness of its foundation, the Korean alphabet ‘Hangeul,’ are also growing. Hangeul is recognized as one of the world's most scientific and systematic writing systems. Embodying the founding philosophy of ‘visualizing sound,’ Hangeul was designed to be easily learned and used by anyone. In essence, it is an ‘Open Language’ that lowers linguistic barriers. Samsung Galaxy resonates with this spirit of ‘openness’ inherent in Hangeul. The core brand value ‘Openness’ pursued by Galaxy—a value that is accessible to all, connects people, and lowers the barriers of technology—fundamentally shares the same direction as the philosophy of Hangeul.
Accordingly, Samsung has planned a public cultural project for university students, the next generation of global leaders, to experience Hangeul as an ‘open language’ and break down language barriers through Galaxy's AI technology.
SOLUTION
The ‘Hangeul Truck’ is a public service project born from the collaboration between Samsung Galaxy's AI technology, artist Kang Ik-joong—world-renowned for his Hangeul installation art—and the Korean Cultural Center New York (KCCNY). Designed as a public art campaign where technology, art, and culture converge, it is completed through the participants' experiences.
To leverage the mobile nature of the project, an Airstream trailer was transformed into an art object. Its exterior is wrapped in Kang Ik-joong's signature ‘Hangeul Cube’ design, while a large LED screen at its center displays participants' messages in real time. When students speak their messages to their future selves in English, the Galaxy AI on the Galaxy Fold7 translates them into Korean. The translated sentences are printed as postcards and given to participants. Scanning the postcard's QR code projects their message onto the LED screen on the Airstream, completing it as a single artwork. Thus, the experience culminates in ‘co-creation’ where participants' messages become art.
Students participated through campus tours at six Ivy League universities in the U.S. East Coast, including Harvard, Brown, Yale, and Princeton. Korean student ambassadors at each school managed the operations, providing a natural and welcoming on-site experience. Additionally, the tour featured a Galaxy Flip7 photo booth, hands-on experiences writing Hangeul using the Galaxy Tab S11, Hangeul tattoos, traditional games, and other programs allowing visitors to freely enjoy K-Culture.
The tour culminated on October 9th, Hangeul Day, at New York's Times Square. Visitors of diverse nationalities experienced the beauty of Hangeul and the openness of language through Galaxy AI, naturally resonating with the idea that ‘the philosophy of Hangeul is the philosophy of open technology’.
Building on the successful outcomes in the East, events at major universities in the West Coast, such as USC, UCLA, UC Berkeley, and Stanford, have been confirmed. Preparations are underway to expand further into the Central and Southern regions.
RESULTS
Despite being a one-day event at each venue, an average of 1,198 people visited daily across seven venues, including six university campuses and the finale at New York's Times Square.
The campaign was covered by over 100 major media outlets, with its achievements and significance as a public art-based global brand campaign highlighted particularly in a print article by the Chosun Ilbo.
