On August 15, 2024, South Korea celebrated its 79th Liberation Day. To commemorate this significant day, SK Telecom introduced a special project: the AI-powered ‘815 Remastering’ video. Through this project, SK Telecom revived historical footage and audio from the immediate aftermath of Korea’s liberation in 1945, allowing many to relive the emotions of that monumental moment. Using cutting-edge AI technology, this project brings history to life, offering a glimpse into Korea’s past in a modern, enhanced form.
At the heart of the ‘815 Remastering’ project is the restoration of a video from 1945 showing the streets of Seoul immediately after liberation and a national anthem recording from 1942. SK Telecom utilized its AI media restoration solution, ‘Supernova,’ to carry out this work. AI-based image restoration and super-resolution techniques were applied, upgrading low-resolution footage into high-definition content, bringing historical moments into clearer focus.
The original footage used for this project was a 28-second video captured on August 16, 1945, showing the celebratory crowds in the streets of Seoul. Many citizens, unaware of Korea's liberation on August 15, flooded the streets the following day, expressing their joy. SK Telecom utilized AI technology to capture and enhance the excitement and emotions from that historic day in the restored footage.
In addition to the video restoration, the project also included the revival of a national anthem recording made in 1942 by the Korean National Association. This recording, one of the oldest known vocal renditions of the national anthem, was produced to commemorate Korea's National Humiliation Day and is now housed in the Independence Hall of Korea. SK Telecom used machine learning-based sound separation technology to remove background noise and improve the quality of the vocal audio, restoring it to a high standard.
The restored video and audio have been combined into a newly produced ‘815 Remastering’ video, which is now available on SK Telecom’s YouTube channel. The content will also be exhibited at the Independence Hall, allowing visitors to experience these pivotal moments in history.
SK Telecom’s Executive Vice President of Digital Communication, Park Kyu-Hyun, stated, “In our 40th anniversary year, as a global AI company, we are focusing on creating various digital content using AI to connect with our customers. We will continue to deliver meaningful projects that convey important social and national messages through digital mediums.”
Conclusion
The ‘815 Remastering’ project is a meaningful attempt to revive pivotal moments in history through AI technology. SK Telecom’s AI technology goes beyond merely improving the quality of footage and audio; it plays a crucial role in bringing the emotions and history of that time to today’s audience. This project serves as an excellent example of how AI can contribute to our everyday lives and historical understanding, leaving many eager for future projects.
3 line summary for you
- SK Telecom unveiled the ‘815 Remastering’ project, restoring 1945 liberation footage and a 1942 national anthem using AI.
- The project enhances low-quality footage and audio, bringing the emotion of liberation to modern audiences.
- The restored content will be available on SK Telecom's YouTube channel and exhibited at the Independence Hall.
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