'Run to the West' ushers in Korea's new AI-powered filmmaking era

Korea is stepping into a new cinematic frontier with its first AI-assisted feature film, 'Run to the West'. Directed by Kang Yoon-sung, the film premieres theaters on October 15.

According to Yonhap News, Kang, known for his visionary storytelling, believes that artificial intelligence will not take away jobs but instead expand creative possibilities and revive the industry. "If we harness AI properly, it will shorten production time, reduce costs, and lead to even more projects - meaning more people can work," he said during a press conference held in Seoul's Samcheong-dong on October 14.

Exploring the realm between life and death

'Run to the West' follows an NIS agent (Byun Yo-han) and a police officer (Kim Kang-woo) who, after a sudden car crash, cross over into an in-between world between the living and the dead. Pursued by grim reapers, they struggle to escape this surreal space, blurring the boundaries of the real and spiritual. As Korea's first feature-length film made using AI technology, the movie employs digital intelligence to create complex scenes of creature effects, explosions, and collapsing buildings - all in a fraction of the time traditional CGI would require.

Revolutionizing production efficiency

Post-production for 'Run to the West' finished within just 3-4 months thanks to AI, compared to roughly a year with regular computer graphics. Kang explained that the film was designed to prove how cutting-edge AI can reduce costs while expanding creative scope. "Even with a smaller budget, I wanted to show audiences that spectacle doesn't require compromise," he said.AI director Kwon Hansul added, "We know the technology isn't flawless yet, but this project lays the foundation for future innovation.

AI in post-production will become as natural as using a smartphone." He emphasized that the film's scale was intentionally ambitious to test AI's real cinematic potential.

Creating a new future for Korean cinema

Both directors agreed that AI will become integral to filmmaking, covering storyboard creation, pre-visualization, and investment materials. "Just 18 months ago, AI couldn't animate realistic human movement. Now, it can make people run naturally," said Kwon.

They expect continued advancements will refine imperfections quickly, leading the way toward smoother visuals and faster production pipelines.Set to open nationwide on October 15, 'Run to the West' is positioned as the cornerstone of Korea's next-generation cinema. Kang summed up his vision: "I want audiences to simply enjoy the ride - don't focus on the technology, just the story."