“It wasn’t So Ji-seob… it was AI”… ‘Kim Bu-jang’ 3-minute past events, fully AI-produced ‘first in Korean dramas’

[SportiV News = Reporter Kim Hyun-rok] It wasn't So Ji-sub, it was AI.

The SBS Friday-Saturday drama 'Kim Manager,' which is currently enjoying a box-office run by breaking 21.6% viewership in just its fourth episode, has become a hot topic after it was revealed that the flashback scenes of So Ji-sub were produced with AI.

According to Morpheus Studio, the roughly three-minute sequence in episodes 1 and 2 depicting the past of Kim Manager (So Ji-sub), the special-agent-turned-protagonist in 'Kim Manager,' was entirely produced with AI. The studio explained that this is the first case in Korean drama history of an entire sequence, rather than a shot-by-shot cut, being made with AI.

The AI video shows the protagonist, a North Korean-born operative, infiltrating the North and carrying out a special mission, and it was broadcast in parts across episodes 1 and 2. Set against North Korea, it included scenes such as a building explosion, a vehicle chase on snow-covered roads and through tunnels, a vehicle rollover, an underwater scene in which a car falls through a broken railing and sinks into a river, and a car recovery scene.

Gunfights and action scenes featuring So Ji-sub and the other characters were also rendered with AI, and it is reported that even close-up shots showing facial expressions were achieved while maintaining character consistency.

These scenes would normally require substantial production costs for art direction, on-location shooting, explosion effects, CG, and VFX if filmed live. The production team reportedly boldly chose a full-AI approach in order to realize the scenes needed to complete the character of Kim Manager.

Morpheus Studio, which produced it, is an AI-based video technology research and content production company founded by Korean film and drama VFX experts. The AI platform service 'AICRON,' launched in February this year, was used 100% in the production of 'Kim Manager.' Ryu Jae-hwan, vice president of Morpheus Studio, who worked as a VFX supervisor on '1947 Boston,' 'Swing Kids,' 'The Flu,' and 'The Restless,' directly oversaw the work.

Vice President Ryu Jae-hwan said, "The most important point is not that AI simply replaced a few-second VFX cut, but that the entire sequence needed to enhance the completeness of the story was created with AI." He added, "'Kim Manager' was able to produce a highly polished result because the production team had a clear goal from the very beginning about how to use AI video. It is an example showing that AI can become a new creative tool and an excellent partner for creators who have good planning and storytelling."