'Director Kim-Manager' Sparks PPL Controversy, Opens Up on AI Use: "If It Was Uncomfortable to Watch, That's a Point We Need to Rethink" [Interview ④]

*This content was translated by AI.

• Interview with Director Lee Seung-young of SBS Prime Time Drama 'Kim-Manager'

Director Lee Seung-young of 'Kim-Manager' spoke out regarding the controversy over product placement (PPL) and content rating adjustments within the current drama production environment.

On the 30th, an interview with Director Lee Seung-young was held at a café in Jongno-gu, Seoul, to commemorate the conclusion of SBS's prime time drama 'Kim-Manager'.

'Kim-Manager,' which concluded on the 25th, is a father-universe revenge action drama about an ordinary dad who becomes the world's most dangerous man to reclaim his only daughter.

When asked about the controversy surrounding the dramatized PPL (indirect advertising) in the series, Director Lee Seung-young shared the difficulties of the current drama production environment. He stated, "It is an action drama and a broadcast network production that required significant investment, yet the current state of the drama industry is extremely challenging." He added, "In this context, PPL was inevitable and unavoidable. If it cannot be avoided, we made every effort to integrate it as seamlessly as possible into the work."

However, he also said, "It seems we caused some discomfort to viewers, so I believe there are areas where we must strive even harder in the future," and requested understanding by adding, "Just because a drama succeeds does not mean we can direct or approach it however we please."

He also addressed concerns regarding the work's violence and content rating adjustments. Director Lee Seung-young emphasized, "From the very beginning of filming, there were clear censorship guidelines that we carefully reviewed. During the directing process, we made efforts to comply with these standards by reducing direct expressions—such as using indirect mirror reflections or narrowing camera angles." He continued, "The core of this story was the desperation of 'a daughter could die.' To maximize that sense of urgency while adhering to censorship rules, we engaged in extensive deliberation. If viewers found it uncomfortable, I believe there are points we need to reconsider how to express in the future."

'Kim-Manager' made headlines as the first Korean commercial drama to introduce a full AI sequence lasting three minutes. Regarding this, Director Lee Seung-young explained his directing intent: "The script primarily focused on Kim-Manager's current state; the fact that he was once an assassin weapon was only mentioned verbally. However, we needed to show his past active scenes, and our goal was to demonstrate the maximum capability of him as an assassin weapon in terms of scale and difficulty."

He further recalled, "Attempting live-action filming would have made the story's focus waver due to the sheer size of the scene. With limited resources, we even considered giving up when AI utilization came to mind. However, just six months prior, the technical conditions for properly implementing this did not yet exist. As technology was updated weekly, we followed its trends and incorporated its advancements into our production. It was a risky endeavor that might not have succeeded, but the AI team and directing staff worked responsibly with clear intent."

Director Lee Seung-young also shared actor So Ji-sub's reaction to the AI-utilized scenes. He said, "I asked him if he minded being replaced by an AI-generated video instead of his own performance, and Actor So replied that it was fine. He viewed the entire process very positively," expressing his gratitude.

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.