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‘Run to the West’ puts AI at the center of Korea’s next cinematic experiment

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By Hankookilbo
  • Published KST
A still image shows a scene from the film “Run to the West.” Courtesy of CJ CGV

A still image shows a scene from the film “Run to the West.” Courtesy of CJ CGV

Can artificial intelligence (AI) breathe new life into Korea’s struggling film industry? Director Kang Yoon-sung, best known for his box-office hit “The Outlaws,” believes it can. His latest project, the AI-assisted sci-fi fantasy “Run to the West,” which opened in theaters on Wednesday, is Korea’s first feature-length film to incorporate AI technology throughout its production.

Co-directed with AI filmmaker Kwon Han-seul — whose short “One More Pumpkin” won the grand prize at the International AI Film Festival last year — the film represents a bold experiment for the local industry.

By using AI to create scenes that would normally rely on complex computer-generated imagery (CG), the team managed to complete the film in just five months — less than half the usual time required for effects-heavy projects.

Running 61 minutes, “Run to the West” is half the length of a typical feature, with tickets priced at 8,000 won ($5.80), also half the usual rate.

“We decided to release the first half as Part 1 and make the second depending on audience response,” Kang said during an interview in Seoul on Tuesday. “Since the story literally stops midway, we decided to highlight its identity as an AI-driven experiment.” The second part will move forward if the first attracts at least 200,000 moviegoers.

Set between life and death, the film follows four characters trapped in a purgatorial realm as they flee from grim reapers. The cast includes Byun Yo-han, Kim Kang-woo, Lim Hyung-jun, Yang Se-jong, Lee Moo-saeng, and Bang Hyo-rin.

After a 20-minute introduction, AI-generated sequences bring to life mythological figures such as the Twelve Zodiac Reapers, the Four Heavenly Kings of Jogyesa Temple, and the Haetae statue of Gwanghwamun Plaza, culminating in massive battle scenes that show the Sejong the Great statue and nearby buildings collapsing.

Audience reactions to the AI visuals have been mixed. “When we began, the technology seemed too primitive to pull this off,” Kang said. “But as production went on, AI advanced so rapidly that we realized the visuals were good enough to share.”

Calling the project a “necessary risk,” he added, “Someone had to make the first move. Without trial and error, both technology and the industry will stagnate.”

Still, the filmmakers acknowledge AI’s limitations. “Generative AI blocks violent imagery, and achieving realistic interactions between AI-generated creatures remains difficult,” Kwon said. “But we were satisfied with large-scale explosions and fire effects.”

A scene from 'Run to the West' / Courtesy of CJ CGV

A scene from "Run to the West" / Courtesy of CJ CGV

Kang noted the dramatic gains in efficiency: “A car explosion scene that would normally take four or five days to film and render in CG took just 1 minute with AI.”

Though CG touch-ups were needed to refine motion and realism, both Kang and Kwon say the hybrid approach points to a new production model.

“Even with limited time and budget, starting from AI-generated sources is far more efficient than building everything from scratch with CG,” Kwon said.

Film experts believe AI could transform the Korean film landscape within just a few years. By slashing production time and costs, it could empower filmmakers to take creative risks and quickly adapt to trends.

“Without innovation and experimentation, cinema will fade from relevance,” Kang said. “I hope ‘Run to the West’ becomes the spark that revives Korean filmmaking — like a small startup growing into a unicorn through technological innovation.”

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