AI Revives the Faces of Korean Independence Heroes on YouTube

A YouTube channel called ‘쏠리즘 (ssollism)’ run by 35-year-old Park Mo has gained significant attention for its use of artificial intelligence (AI) to recreate the images of Korean independence activists and soldiers from the Yeonpyeong Naval Battle. One comment on a short video featuring these figures reads, "I hope they are living well...". The video showcases a high school student Yu Gwan-sun smiling brightly in front of a school, a teacher Yun Bong-gil walking through the halls with a book among students in uniforms, and a soldier Ahn Jung-geun grinning in a flight jacket. These AI-generated videos have garnered millions of views on YouTube, sparking emotional reactions such as, "Yu Gwan-sun is so beautiful and lovely" and "It's so sad. They were shining youths...".

Park, who completed 13 years of military service and was working in exterior painting, began this project in May, aiming to imagine the 'today' of these independence heroes. He expressed his sorrow over the many who sacrificed their lives for the country yet remain forgotten. After the initial video surpassed 3.77 million views in just a month, he vowed to continue resurrecting the memories of those who sacrificed for South Korea, including soldiers from the Korean War and the Yeonpyeong Naval Battle.

In addition to Park's channel, other YouTube channels like ‘기억저장소 AI (Memory Storage AI)’, ‘그려DREAM (Draw DREAM)’, and ‘리스토리 (ReStory)’ are also using AI to recreate the likenesses of independence activists. These videos, often produced as YouTube Shorts, have become popular, attracting hundreds of thousands to millions of views. They depict imaginative scenes such as General Hong Beom-do eating frogs during battle, poet Yoon Dong-ju wiping tears while wearing a graduation cap, and General Kim Jwa-jin celebrating the news of liberation with a joyful shout.

AI restoration is not limited to individual creators. On August 15, 2022, the Independence Hall of Korea also released videos of Ahn Jung-geun and Yu Gwan-sun, enhancing black-and-white photos with color and using AI technology to repair damaged areas. For instance, Yu Gwan-sun's photo was altered to remove her prison number and redraw her missing left arm, adding lifelike expressions and lip movements to create a vivid experience.

Cultural critic Ha Jae-geun noted that the respect and mourning for independence activists is a shared sentiment among all, stating that AI technology allows us to encounter their vivid images as if they were alive today, evoking deep emotions.