Kim Se-kyu, CEO of AI Virtual Production Company Vive Studios
Reconstructed the Mireuksaji Temple Site, lost 1,400 years ago,
Restored and verified using cultural and historical records—receiving acclaim.
Created digital versions of historical figures such as
Ahn Jung-geun and Yoon Bong-gil.
Receiving love calls from platforms like Netflix for films and TV.
AI technology is expected to have growing influence across various fields.
In January of this year, the UNESCO World Heritage site Mireuksaji Temple was brought back to life in its original form from 1,400 years ago at the National Iksan Museum in Iksan, North Jeolla Province. As a symbol of Baekje’s Buddhist culture and a representative structure from the reign of King Mu, Mireuksaji was vividly reconstructed in 3D through a high-resolution media wall. Created by AI-based virtual production company Vive Studios, the 3D Mireuksaji was reconstructed into a three-dimensional image using AI trained on Korean academic papers and historical verification data related to its architecture.
In a recent interview with Maeil Business Newspaper, Vive Studios CEO Kim Se-kyu stated, “We are currently working on visualizing historically significant sites, artifacts, and even historical figures in three dimensions.” He added, “We focus on acting as a messenger that sensibly conveys the stories of the past using advanced technology.”
The company’s projects are not limited to cultural sites. At the first-floor lobby of the Baekbeom Kim Koo Memorial Hall in Hyochang Park, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, visitors can meet “Digital Kim Koo” through a kiosk. When approached, the screen comes alive with a greeting: “Nice to meet you. I’m glad we can talk face to face with modern technology.”
“This was the first case of applying digital humans to national patriotism and memorial purposes,” said CEO Kim. “Vive Studios was responsible for generating the AI image of digital Kim Koo, while AI companies Akrive and Level Nine developed the conversational language model that enables real-time interaction.”
In addition to Kim Koo, Vive Studios has also digitally recreated historical patriots Ahn Jung-geun and Yun Bong-gil. The digital Ahn Jung-geun is displayed at the Ahn Jung-geun Memorial Hall near Seoul Station, while the digital Yun Bong-gil can be found at the Maehon Yun Bong-gil Memorial Hall near Yangjae Citizen’s Forest Station.
“These AI models were trained on available photographic records of the figures, as well as books and academic research either written by or about them,” said Kim. “They’re capable of interactive conversations with visitors, making them particularly effective for educational purposes with children.”
Vive Studios provides AI-based services in virtual production, spatial planning, and content creation. Specializing in visual effects (VFX) using computer graphics (CG) and 3D technology, the company integrates AI into its VFX workflows through its in-house research lab, Vive Lab. According to global market research firm Grand View Research, the global virtual production market—including AI-driven VFX—is projected to grow at an average annual rate of 17.8%, reaching $6.79 billion by 2030.
“With AI, what used to require frame-by-frame manual compositing by VFX specialists—such as aging or de-aging an actor—can now be automated,” Kim explained. “We’re receiving increasing interest from the film and drama industries.” One standout example is the company’s “Face Swap” technology, used in Netflix’s hit series A Killer Paradox to depict the childhood of the character played by actor Son Suk-ku.
“Combining AI with VFX significantly shortens production timelines and maximizes efficiency,” Kim noted. “Our technology is already being applied—or will soon be—in projects by Samsung C&T’s Raemian Gallery, SK Telecom’s ifland and A., and advertising for Krafton’s games.”
Since last month, Vive Studios’ AI image transformation service has also been available at local photo booths. When users take pictures at self-service booths like Miso Photo or Eoljjang Sticker Photos, the AI transforms their images into expressive cartoon characters. “With the rise of events and celebrations, the demand for photo booths continues to grow,” said Kim. “Whether it's weddings, birthday parties, corporate events, or social media sharing, the influence of these AI services is expanding rapidly.”
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Kim Se-kyu, CEO of AI Virtual Production Company Vive Studios
Reconstructed the Mireuksaji Temple Site, lost 1,400 years ago,
Restored and verified using cultural and historical records—receiving acclaim.
Created digital versions of historical figures such as
Ahn Jung-geun and Yoon Bong-gil.
Receiving love calls from platforms like Netflix for films and TV.
AI technology is expected to have growing influence across various fields.
In January of this year, the UNESCO World Heritage site Mireuksaji Temple was brought back to life in its original form from 1,400 years ago at the National Iksan Museum in Iksan, North Jeolla Province. As a symbol of Baekje’s Buddhist culture and a representative structure from the reign of King Mu, Mireuksaji was vividly reconstructed in 3D through a high-resolution media wall. Created by AI-based virtual production company Vive Studios, the 3D Mireuksaji was reconstructed into a three-dimensional image using AI trained on Korean academic papers and historical verification data related to its architecture.
In a recent interview with Maeil Business Newspaper, Vive Studios CEO Kim Se-kyu stated, “We are currently working on visualizing historically significant sites, artifacts, and even historical figures in three dimensions.” He added, “We focus on acting as a messenger that sensibly conveys the stories of the past using advanced technology.”
The company’s projects are not limited to cultural sites. At the first-floor lobby of the Baekbeom Kim Koo Memorial Hall in Hyochang Park, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, visitors can meet “Digital Kim Koo” through a kiosk. When approached, the screen comes alive with a greeting: “Nice to meet you. I’m glad we can talk face to face with modern technology.”
“This was the first case of applying digital humans to national patriotism and memorial purposes,” said CEO Kim. “Vive Studios was responsible for generating the AI image of digital Kim Koo, while AI companies Akrive and Level Nine developed the conversational language model that enables real-time interaction.”
In addition to Kim Koo, Vive Studios has also digitally recreated historical patriots Ahn Jung-geun and Yun Bong-gil. The digital Ahn Jung-geun is displayed at the Ahn Jung-geun Memorial Hall near Seoul Station, while the digital Yun Bong-gil can be found at the Maehon Yun Bong-gil Memorial Hall near Yangjae Citizen’s Forest Station.
“These AI models were trained on available photographic records of the figures, as well as books and academic research either written by or about them,” said Kim. “They’re capable of interactive conversations with visitors, making them particularly effective for educational purposes with children.”
Vive Studios provides AI-based services in virtual production, spatial planning, and content creation. Specializing in visual effects (VFX) using computer graphics (CG) and 3D technology, the company integrates AI into its VFX workflows through its in-house research lab, Vive Lab. According to global market research firm Grand View Research, the global virtual production market—including AI-driven VFX—is projected to grow at an average annual rate of 17.8%, reaching $6.79 billion by 2030.
“With AI, what used to require frame-by-frame manual compositing by VFX specialists—such as aging or de-aging an actor—can now be automated,” Kim explained. “We’re receiving increasing interest from the film and drama industries.” One standout example is the company’s “Face Swap” technology, used in Netflix’s hit series A Killer Paradox to depict the childhood of the character played by actor Son Suk-ku.
“Combining AI with VFX significantly shortens production timelines and maximizes efficiency,” Kim noted. “Our technology is already being applied—or will soon be—in projects by Samsung C&T’s Raemian Gallery, SK Telecom’s ifland and A., and advertising for Krafton’s games.”
Since last month, Vive Studios’ AI image transformation service has also been available at local photo booths. When users take pictures at self-service booths like Miso Photo or Eoljjang Sticker Photos, the AI transforms their images into expressive cartoon characters. “With the rise of events and celebrations, the demand for photo booths continues to grow,” said Kim. “Whether it's weddings, birthday parties, corporate events, or social media sharing, the influence of these AI services is expanding rapidly.”
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