South Korea’s movie industry is embracing AI. Will K-film lose its magic?
South Korea’s movie industry is embracing AI. Will K-film lose its magic?
https://www.cnn.com/world/south-korea-film-industry-ai-hnk-spc
Publish Date: 2026-05-25 22:21:00
Source Domain: www.cnn.com
Summary
- South Korea’s film industry is turning to artificial intelligence to cut production costs amid declining box office sales.
- The government has earmarked millions of dollars of funding for productions using technologies including AI.
- Some warn that AI could replace jobs and erode the human touch that made Korean cinema iconic.
AI-generated summary was reviewed by a CNN editor.
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Globally, Korean content is booming. K-film and television exports doubled between 2019 and 2024, and last year, the nation’s audiovisual sector added $16.4 billion to the economy, supporting 291,100 jobs.
But beneath the surface, South Korea’s film industry is facing enormous funding challenges. Domestic box office sales are 45% less than they were pre-pandemic, in part due to the rise of streaming. As a result, production companies are pulling back on funding: last year, just 20 films were made with a budget over 3 billion won ($2.15 million), compared to 40 to 50 annually pre-pandemic, according to the Korean Film Council.
“Korean production costs have risen significantly in recent years,” says Hyun-jung Baek, head of content innovation at CJ ENM, South Korea’s largest entertainment and content production company. “So even though K-content is expanding globally, the profits coming from it aren’t great.”
Many production companies, including CJ ENM, are turning to artificial intelligence…
