Memoir movement gains ground in AI era

Cho Gab-je

The author is a journalist and the head of ChoGabje.com and Cho Gab-je TV. 

A quiet movement encouraging citizens to write their own memoirs is gaining traction in Korea, raising the possibility that people may soon be divided into those who have recorded their lives and those who have not. For those who write, their experiences may endure as lasting digital records shaped with the help of AI. For those who do not, memories risk fading with time.

Memoirs have long been associated with prominent figures, but ordinary citizens are increasingly taking up the practice. Libraries, local governments and AI tools are supporting first-time writers. One publisher has even branded itself around the idea of helping “half of the nation” produce books. The trend has grown to the point that some suggest local election platforms could include pledges to support memoir writing.

On March 23, an inaugural event for a nationwide memoir-writing initiative took place at the Korea Press Center in Seoul. Organized by a group called the Memory Network, which includes 50 founding members, the campaign aims to gather the experiences, knowledge and practical wisdom of Korea’s 50 million people into what organizers describe as a vast intellectual legacy for future generations.

The group likens the effort to a modern-day “Tripitaka Koreana,” emphasizing that every individual can be the protagonist of their own life story. Visitors to the initiative’s online platform, memorynetwork.org, are greeted with the message, “We were not born to be forgotten,” followed by a call to action: “Write your life before algorithms define it.” Organizers say the phrase reflects a declaration of independence in the age of AI.

The founding members come from diverse backgrounds, including university students, photographers, webtoon artists, automotive designers, publishing editors, professors, librarians and AI specialists. At the launch event, Jeon Sung-dong, a librarian at the Gangbuk Youth Culture Information Library, introduced a program that supported eight elderly participants with no prior writing experience in producing memoirs. With guidance from a resident writer, participants completed their books and held a publication ceremony attended by family members. The event, he said, was filled with tears as participants found healing and a renewed sense of self through recording their lives.

Kim Sang-a, head of PurpleNet, highlighted the loss of professional knowledge when workers retire without documenting their experiences. Her organization is working to preserve such “work histories” as AI data, allowing accumulated expertise to become a shared social asset. She said many professionals have led diligent but busy lives that left little time for reflection or documentation.

Lee Dae-beom, head of Repeto AI, presented a system developed through recording interviews with parents. The program converts oral accounts into text and refines them into readable narratives. Using this approach, he has helped publish more than 200 memoirs, particularly for elderly individuals unfamiliar with writing.

A declaration unveiled at the event described record-keeping as a process of rediscovering oneself and framed memoir writing as a final safeguard for humanity in the AI era. When isolated individuals connect through shared records, it said, communities can preserve memories that might otherwise disappear and pass on wisdom across generations.

The group views AI as both a partner and a tool to be guided. By embedding warmth, human connection and solidarity into data, organizers hope to shape AI systems that reflect community values. They also envision strengthening “data sovereignty” by building a uniquely Korean archive of memoirs with both depth and breadth.

The declaration stressed that history is not made solely of famous figures. The daily life of a market vendor, the dedication of a teacher or the story of a refugee child together form a fuller portrait of an era.

Korea’s modern history, spanning the past 80 years, has been marked by rapid transformation. Organizers argue that if both elites and ordinary citizens record their experiences and the state supports the collection and use of these records, they could generate diverse applications in policy, film, literature and academic research.

A comprehensive database of lived experiences could also provide valuable lessons for developing countries and serve as a testament to how Koreans have lived. The movement’s proponents see it as a potential successor to past national campaigns such as the Saemaul Undong and the Seoul Olympic movement.

Ultimately, they frame the initiative as a collective report by roughly 100 million people born in Korea since 1945, a testament that “we lived diligently.” In this vision, every person is born to be remembered.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.