AI memes target lawmaker over 'bus house' idea

A reporter interviews a resident inside a satirical "bus house" as proposed by Rep. Hwang Hee of the Democratic Party of Korea in an AI-generated video circulating on Instagram, Monday. Captured from Instagram

Artificial intelligence (AI)-generated parodies are flooding social media to satirize a proposal by Rep. Hwang Hee of the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) to convert retired buses into temporary housing for young adults. Anger over the suggestion has fueled a wave of satirical memes by young Koreans. The backlash shows little sign of abating three days after Hwang deleted the social media post that ignited heavy public criticism.

One prominent example is a mock apartment tour video that spread rapidly on Instagram on Monday. The AI-generated video depicts a reporter visiting a complex made of stacked converted buses and interviewing a fictional resident.

The resident, who claimed to have lived there for six months, says sarcastically, "In summer, the inside of the bus becomes a sauna, and in winter, it becomes a freezer," adding, "Except for the smell from the neighbor's bathroom, it's fine."

Another parody image, captioned "I live in Banpo," has also circulated widely online. The AI-generated image shows a vehicle labeled "Bus House 01" parked at Central City Terminal in Seocho District, Seoul. The image contrasts Banpo, one of Seoul's most affluent neighborhoods, with the reality of young people being housed in converted buses rather than high-priced apartments.

A bus labeled "Bus House 01" stands at Central City Terminal in Seocho District, Seoul, in an AI-generated image satirizing a housing proposal by Rep. Hwang Hee of the Democratic Party of Korea, circulating in online communities, Monday. Captured from online forum

Other AI parodies mocked Korean luxury apartment brands, giving the bus towers satirical names such as "The First Moving Castle" and "Hannam The Wheel," or depicting fictional "'free forced move-ins'" led by Hwang.

Online commenters said, "It looks like the backdrop of a dystopian movie," "Is the building next to the youth housing 'Nurgio Town Bus District'?" and "Don't make youth housing, make DPK-only housing." The responses reflected widespread criticism that Hwang was out of touch and lacked empathy.

The controversy began when Hwang proposed utilizing discarded buses as "short-term housing" for young people in a Facebook post on Friday. After facing intense criticism that the idea was out of touch with reality, he deleted the post and said it was merely a conceptual idea.

An AI-generated image depicts fictional "free forced move-ins" overseen by Rep. Hwang Hee of the Democratic Party of Korea, top, and an apartment complex made of stacked buses, bottom, circulating in online communities, Monday. Captured from online forum

DPK policy committee chair Rep. Han Jeoung-ae distanced the party from the proposal during a Sunday press conference, saying she hoped the public would view it as an unfortunate incident and clarifying it was not official party policy. However, sharp criticism from both within and outside the party has not ceased.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.