SEOUL — South Korea’s television industry has taken one of its boldest steps yet into the age of artificial intelligence, with a new SBS drama using AI to create an entire action sequence that would traditionally require months of filming and millions of dollars in production costs.
The series, “Agent Kim Reactivated,” starring So Ji-sub, features a three-minute flashback depicting the protagonist’s secret missions in North Korea. Rather than relying on conventional filming techniques, the sequence was produced entirely using artificial intelligence, making it one of the first Korean television dramas to integrate a fully AI-generated narrative sequence of this scale into its storytelling.
For viewers, the transition is almost seamless.
The sequence includes large-scale explosions, high-speed car chases across snow-covered roads, tunnel crashes, overturned vehicles, underwater rescue scenes, gun battles and close-quarters combat, all visual elements that would normally demand overseas filming, elaborate sets, practical effects and extensive visual effects work.
Instead, the production team turned to AICRON, an AI production platform developed by South Korean visual effects specialists, to recreate scenes that would otherwise have required a significantly larger budget and far longer production schedule.
The experiment reflects a broader shift taking place across the global entertainment industry, where artificial intelligence is moving beyond simple editing tools and becoming part of the creative production process itself.
According to Hong Sung-chang, CEO of Studio S, the broadcaster intends to expand the use of AI in future productions while maintaining transparency with audiences.
“Whenever AI technology is used, viewers will be informed through on-screen captions,” Hong said. “Reducing production costs is certainly one advantage, but the greater significance is proving that this can be done. I believe audiences will appreciate it more over time.”
The AI production was handled by Morpheus Studio under the supervision of veteran visual effects producer Ryu Jae-hwan, whose previous film credits include 1947 Boston, Swing Kids and Flu.
For Ryu, the achievement extends well beyond replacing a few visual effects shots.
“The biggest significance is that we didn’t simply substitute AI for a few seconds of VFX,” he said. “We completed an entire story sequence that is essential to the narrative using AI. From the planning stage, the character’s backstory was designed specifically with AI production in mind. It demonstrates AI’s potential to become a new creative tool capable of bringing filmmakers’ imagination to life.”
The announcement arrives as artificial intelligence continues to reshape creative industries worldwide, from filmmaking and music production to publishing and game development. While AI has sparked ongoing debates over copyright, creative ownership and employment, broadcasters and studios increasingly see the technology as a way to produce ambitious visual storytelling that might otherwise be financially out of reach.
South Korea, already recognised as one of the world’s most influential exporters of television content, appears determined to remain at the forefront of that transformation.
For international audiences, “Agent Kim Reactivated” may be remembered not only for its story, but for quietly marking the moment when AI moved from behind the scenes to becoming an active collaborator in mainstream television production.
Whether audiences embrace that future remains to be seen. But one thing is becoming increasingly clear: artificial intelligence is no longer knocking on the door of the entertainment industry. It has already stepped onto the set.
