Seoul gets 20 minutes in Avengers 2

By Kim Bo-eun

Scenes of Captain America and Black Widow speeding after Ultron down the main street in Gangnam, and Ultron skidding along the Han River in a container box, feature in the much-awaited "Avengers: Age of Ultron," a press preview Tuesday revealed.

The 20 minutes of scenes in Seoul in the 140-minute sequel to the American superhero film are seen as significant, considering it was filmed in 23 countries.

The scenes featured some key spots in Seoul, such as Some Sevit, the 63 Building, Digital Media City, the streets of Gangnam and the Han River.

Korean actress Kim Soo-hyun, who plays Helen Cho, a world-renowned geneticist who helps the Avengers from her lab in Seoul, also gets good exposure.

Some say the casting and setting will boost Seoul’s image as a cutting-edge technology city, as well as promote the capital.

But while Seoulites would easily recognize the locations, it is questionable how much of the city foreigners would be able to identify.

Considering the government will pay production company Marvel some 3.9 billion won in incentives for filming in Seoul, critics question how much of a promotional effect the film will have on the country.