KBS’ ‘Busan Port Odyssey’ makes first-ever capture of ship from 150 years ago after six-month search, successfully restores Kanpu ferry ‘Geumgang-hwan’ with AI

Marking the 150th anniversary of the opening of Busan Port, KBS Busan’s ambitious special documentary ‘Busan Port Odyssey’ is finally being unveiled. The program goes beyond a simple look back at the past, using cutting-edge ‘artificial intelligence (AI)’ technology to fully visualize forgotten history and open a new chapter for maritime documentaries.

150 years of maritime history brought back to life with cutting-edge technology

The program’s most notable achievement is the first-ever restoration of the ‘Geumgang-hwan’, a Kanpu ferry that had completely disappeared into history. Over six months, the production team conducted extensive reporting in Japan, securing rare blueprints and photographs of the vessel’s interior. It then precisely integrated AI technology to bring the dynamic scenes of Busan Port’s past back to the screen.

The first episode traces, with a sober eye, the paths of vessels that sailed through turbulent times, including the ‘Rain Victory’, which saved the lives of countless refugees during the Korean War; the deep-sea fishing vessel ‘Jinan’, which heralded South Korea’s economic growth; and the ‘Chicharenka’, which carried the country’s first official group of emigrants to Hawaii.

From the logistics revolution to a blueprint for the ports of the future

The second episode takes an in-depth look at changing paradigms in port labor and logistics systems. Led by the ‘Pittsburgh’, the first container ship to enter Busan Port in 1970, it examines the untold story of the container-shipping revolution driven by the ‘Ideal X’ and the ‘Gateway City’ on the basis of documented facts.

While revisiting the evolution of cargo-handling methods and the lives of the workers who labored through those changes, the documentary cross-analyzes the ‘Inwang’, South Korea’s first container ship, with advanced practices at the Port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands, a global logistics hub. In doing so, it clearly lays out a blueprint for the future of South Korea’s ports.

The first episode of ‘Busan Port Odyssey’, distinguished by rigorous historical research and innovative direction, will air at 7:40 p.m. on the 6th, followed by the second episode at 7:40 p.m. on the 7th on KBS 1TV in the Busan and Yangsan areas.