Kookmin University design students win grand prize at Korea AI Content Festival
Summary
Kookmin University design students won the grand prize in the music video category at the 2026 Korea AI Content Festival. The Holy team received the award for Epos at a ceremony at the Construction Building in southern Seoul on Aug. 6. The work was chosen from 225 submissions and was praised for creativity, storytelling and AI use. The team said the video was meant to prompt reflection on excessive reliance on AI and its effects on human thought and creativity.
Key Facts
- The Holy team consists of five undergraduate students from Kookmin University’s Department of AI Design in the College of Design.
- The award-winning work, Epos, was selected as the top entry among 225 submissions in the music video category.
- The Korea AI Content Festival received 1,066 entries across four categories: advertising, music videos, short-form dramas and mid-form dramas.
- Submissions were evaluated by a panel of working drama directors, executives of AI production companies and professors.
- Chorokbaem Media posts the festival’s final award-winning works on its website and official YouTube channel.
Design team's work portrays AI through 'replica bots'
Design students from Kookmin University pose after winning the grand prize for their work “Epos” in the music video category at the 2026 Korea AI Content Festival. The award ceremony was held at the Construction Building in southern Seoul, Aug. 6. Courtesy of Kookmin University
A team of design students from Kookmin University has won the grand prize in the music video category at the 2026 Korea AI Content Festival.
The university said Thursday that the team, named Holy, received the prize for its work “Epos” during the award ceremony held at the Construction Building in southern Seoul on Aug. 6.
“Epos” was selected as the top entry from among 225 submissions. It was recognized for its creativity, strong storytelling and effective use of artificial intelligence (AI) technology.
The Holy team comprises five undergraduate students from the Department of AI Design at Kookmin University’s College of Design. They are Kim Se-hyun, Lee Song-won, Yoon Hee-won, Seong Yeon-woo and Han Ji-woo.
“I believe that in an era when AI is used to create works, their value lies in the questions they raise, the messages they convey and how they are directed,” said Seong, representing the team.
She added, “I think this award recognizes the process in which our team members continuously reflected on the message, concept and direction of our work, rather than the technology alone.”
Through extensive experience working with generative AI, the team came to recognize a clear difference between works that use AI effectively and those that rely solely on AI. This awareness served as the starting point for their work.
A screenshot shows a “replica bot” being assembled in a video produced by a design student team from Kookmin University. The work, titled “Epos,” won the grand prize in the music video category at the 2026 Korea AI Content Festival. Courtesy of Kookmin University
The work portrays AI through “replica bots,” human-like robots designed to replicate their human counterparts and perform various roles in their place.
In the video, the protagonist decides to sever ties with a replica bot, but eventually orders another one, reflecting how people, having grown accustomed to the convenience of AI, may find it difficult to return to the way things were before.
The team said it did not intend to reject AI, but rather to encourage viewers to reflect on how excessive reliance on AI could gradually erode human thought, judgment and creativity.
It explained that it chose an open ending for the final scene to prompt viewers to consider whether AI will become a crisis or an even greater opportunity, depending ultimately on how it is used.
A screenshot shows a “replica bot” playing chess in “Epos,” a video produced by a design student team from Kookmin University that won the grand prize in the music video category at the 2026 Korea AI Content Festival. Courtesy of Kookmin University
The Korea AI Content Festival is a competition organized by content production company Chorokbaem Media to discover talented AI content creators and outstanding works.
A total of 1,066 entries were submitted across four categories — advertising, music videos, short-form dramas and mid-form dramas — from February through July this year.
The entries were evaluated by a panel comprising working drama directors, executives of AI production companies and professors.
The judges assessed the submissions based on a range of criteria, including creativity, storytelling, use of AI technology, overall quality and potential for practical use.
The festival’s final award-winning works are posted on Chorokbaem Media’s website and official YouTube channel.
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