From Drama Action to K-pop Composition: AI Penetrates Content Production, Used by 1 in 3 Companies

Three-Minute Action Scene in Drama "Chief Kim" Fully Produced by AI

Over Half of Songwriters in K-pop Use AI for Guide Vocals

Labeling Requirements Still Lacking Despite AI Framework Act in January

"Standards Needed for Training Data, Copyright, and Disclosure"

A scene from the SBS drama 'Chief Kim.' Provided by Morpheus Studio

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly permeating the domestic content production industry in Korea. AI is now being used not only to enhance background processing or visual effects (VFX), but also to create core action scenes for commercial dramas, as well as to draft and arrange lyrics and compose guide vocals in popular music. Although production methods are changing at a rapid pace, there are concerns that regulations regarding copyright recognition and labeling standards for AI-generated works are failing to keep up with technological advancement.

According to the “2025 Fourth Quarter Annual Content Industry Trend Analysis” released by the Korea Creative Content Agency on July 15, the utilization rate of generative AI among domestic content companies in the fourth quarter of the previous year was 32.1%. The utilization rate in the broadcasting and video sector alone reached 31.9%. Among AI-adopting companies, 62.7% used generative AI for content production; this was followed by business planning (43.7%) and content creation (32.8%). This demonstrates that generative AI, previously confined to simple auxiliary work such as document writing or translation, is now entering the core workflow of content planning, creation, and production.

The SBS drama “Chief Kim,” currently airing, provides a compelling example of this new production environment. Across episodes 1 and 2, there is an approximately three-minute action sequence depicting the backstory of protagonist Chief Kim—a former North Korean agent recruited to the South—on a special mission. This sequence spans a snow-covered highway shootout, a car crashing into a river, large-scale explosions, and underwater recovery scenes, yet not a single cut features the actual lead actor So Ji-sub.

If filmed live, these scenes would have required significant production budgets for set construction, outdoor location shooting, explosions, special effects, and post-production VFX. The production company explained that this is the first time in Korea that an entire approximately three-minute sequence was produced using AI and inserted into a commercial drama.

Ryu Jaehwan, Vice President of Morpheus Studio, stated, “What’s important is not simply replacing several seconds of VFX with AI, but rather using AI to produce the entire sequence necessary for narrative completeness.” He added, “From the early planning stage, the production team for ‘Chief Kim’ had a clear vision of how to utilize AI video. This case shows that AI can become a new creative tool and partner for creators with good planning and stories.”

Of course, it is not as simple as completing a video with the press of a button. Video professionals pre-design each scene, then combine multiple generative models and repeatedly review whether characters and spaces flow naturally. “Aichron,” a production platform released by Morpheus Studio in February, allows the combination of various AI models for prompt input, image, video, and sound generation, as well as editing, all in one workflow.

The music production field is also evolving rapidly. Some producers now use generative AI to obtain lyric or chorus options matching the theme and emotion of a song, and create melody and rhythm drafts using music generation programs.

Especially notable are changes to the “guide vocal” process, in which temporary demo tracks are made before official recording. AI is used to convert the composer's voice into an AI vocal to produce demo tracks. One K-pop songwriter commented, “About 60–70% of composers use AI for guide vocal production. AI offers multiple alternatives, but it is ultimately a human who decides on instrument arrangement and the overall feel of the song.”

A scene from the music video "Kkoti Animyeon Eotteonga" by singer Song Ga-in created with AI. Jejistar

AI is likewise being actively used in music video and album production. The music video for group XG’s “IS THIS LOVE” used AI as a core directorial tool from the planning stage. Singer Song Ga-in’s new single “What If It’s Not a Flower” also implemented AI-driven techniques in the album imagery, concept photos, and music video production.

Reactions are divided. Some praise the visualization of fantasy images that are difficult to realize through live shooting, while others criticize the unnatural movement and facial expressions of characters and the smudged textures as diminishing the sense of immersion.

The key issue is regulation. There are still no concrete standards finalized for the synthesis of an actor's face or a singer's voice, or for the use of existing copyrighted works as AI training data.

Current copyright law and guidelines from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Copyright Commission identify "human creative contribution" as a core criterion. AI-generated outputs created merely through simple prompt inputs are difficult to protect as copyrighted works. However, if a human creatively modifies, selects, or arranges AI results to form a new work, the human-contributed elements may be subject to copyright protection.

Another unresolved question is how much disclosure to the public is required regarding the use of AI. The Framework Act on Artificial Intelligence, which took effect on January 22, requires AI businesses that provide products or services using generative AI to inform users that such products or results are AI-generated.

However, content producers who create videos or audio tracks using external AI services are not, in principle, directly subject to these obligations. When AI is used for just part of the production process, the level to which this must be indicated in the work depends almost entirely on industry self-regulation and private contracts.

Composer Kim Hyungseok warned, “We have entered an era where every citizen can write lyrics and compose music using AI. If we do not establish systems for recording creative logs, ensuring transparency in distribution, and managing rights via blockchain, control over copyrights will likely shift from associations to IT platforms.” He emphasized, “There is a definite ‘golden time’ for AI—if we don’t get ready now, it will be too late.”

A music producer similarly noted, “We can’t prevent the use of AI altogether. What is needed are standards for recording which works are used as AI training data and how much humans are involved in the creative process, so that rights and profits can be distributed accordingly.” He added, “The longer it takes to set such standards, the harder it will be for creators to know where their music is being used, and the more dominance over copyright management will gravitate to large tech platforms.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.