Why Korean animation studios tap screen stars

Posters for "Gill," left, and "David" / Courtesy of ATNINE FILM and Lotte Entertainment

Actors Kim Hyang-gi, Park Bo-gum, Jung Hae-in and Kang Ha-neul are lending their voices to animated features. As A-list actors increasingly take on voice acting roles, Korean animation studios are reshaping how they market their original features.

Jung will lend his voice to the Korean animated film "Gill," scheduled to hit theaters Sept. 9.

Adapted from author Gu Byeong-mo's novel of the same name, "Gill" follows Gon, a boy who develops gills one day when he is thrown into deep water, and the characters who inhabit his new world.

Kang, Lee Chung-ah, Yoo Jae-myung and Kim Sun-young join Jung in the voice cast.

The casting reflects a growing industry trend of Korean animation studios recruiting popular live-action stars to voice their original characters.

Kim Hyang-gi, Park Ji-hu and Lee Joo-young previously led the voice cast for the animated film "Pilgrims," which opened in June.

In July, actor Park Bo-gum voiced the protagonist in the animated feature "David," which drew significant attention and topped the specialty box office.

Celebrity casting serves as a highly effective promotional tool. Unlike Hollywood cartoons or Japanese anime, original Korean animated films lack established global franchises or pre-existing fan bases, making it notoriously difficult to build early audience awareness.

To overcome these early hurdles, studios rely on recognizable screen stars to give viewers a reason to buy a ticket. Because Korea's animation fandom remains relatively weak compared to foreign markets, a mainstream actor's popularity often becomes a project's primary marketing strategy.

Studios also use star power to expand beyond their core demographics. While audiences traditionally view animation as a genre strictly for children and families, casting acclaimed actors helps draw in adult moviegoers.

"With the Korean animation market yet to fully expand, the participation of highly recognizable actors helps make the work known," a film industry official said. "In particular, it can be an opportunity to overcome the limitations of being centered on child audiences. If various attempts continue, we expect positive changes in theKorean animation market."

However, the casting strategy does not guarantee box office success. Generating pre-release hype and driving audiences to theaters remain two entirely different challenges.

Both "Pilgrims" and "David" succeeded in generating early buzz, but they ultimately struggled to sustain commercial momentum. The films faced a combination of a lack of available screens and niche genre constraints, leaving studios disappointed with ticket sales.

A scene from the animated film "Pilgrims" / Courtesy of Movie Special City

The trend is also sparking a fierce dispute, with critics arguing that screen actors are encroaching on the territory of professional voice actors.

Voice acting is a highly specialized craft requiring years of dedicated training. Voice-over professionals must master precise breath control, vocal timbre and emotional resonance to match a character's personality, all while perfectly synchronizing their dialogue with the animated movements on screen.

As studios increasingly award major roles to live-action stars for their mainstream recognition, industry insiders warn that seasoned voice actors are rapidly losing their standing.

Finding a sustainable balance between a celebrity's marketability and a voice actor's technical expertise remains a critical challenge for the industry.

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.