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Marines honor fallen soldiers with AI-generated videos at 15th anniversary of the Yeonpyeong Island shelling

Published: 24 Nov. 2025, 14:16 Updated: 24 Nov. 2025, 16:03

Moon Yeong-jo, right, the father of the late Lance Cpl. Moon Gwang-uk, and his son are seen in an AI-rendered video made by the Marine Corps to remember the Marines who died in the Yeonpyeong shelling. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

At a memorial marking the 15th anniversary of the Yeonpyeong Island shelling, the Marine Corps unveiled AI-generated videos of two fallen soldiers, moving their families to tears as they confronted lifelike images of their loved ones.

“The last time I saw him was on leave, Oct. 15, 2010,” said Moon Yeong-ju, the father of the late Lance Cpl. Moon Gwang-uk, who was killed at the age of 18 during the shelling. “I can still feel my son’s breath, his voice, his warmth. They’re all stored in my body.”

As his son appeared on screen with a bright smile, Moon could not hold back his emotions and began to cry. It was the first time that he had seen that smile in 15 years.

“It felt like my son was right next to me,” he told the JoongAng Ilbo.

The Marine Corps created the AI-generated video of the late Lance Cpl. Moon and the late Sgt. Seo Jeong-woo for the memorial — held at the Daejeon National Cemetery on Sunday — to offer comfort to their families. Many wept as they watched.

The video includes vivid scenes of Cpl. Moon smiling at his fellow Marines or posing for photos with his siblings. In the final scene, Cpl. Moon lies asleep in his father's arms as his father gently strokes his hair.

In the original photo, Cpl. Moon looks like any other teenage son, gazing indifferently into the distance. But thanks to AI, his face appears peaceful in his father's embrace.

The late Lance Cpl. Moon Gwang-uk and late Sgt. Seo Jeong-woo, who were both killed in the Yeonpyeong Island shelling, are seen in an AI-rendered video made by the Marine Corps to remember them. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

“That [photo] was from a month before the shelling, when he came home on leave. It turned out to be the last time [I would be with him like that],” his father said.

“My son has gone somewhere he can’t return from. All I can hope is that other Marines return safely to their parents.”

Moon added, “I hope this event reminds our people and service members that North Korea continues to watch for chances to strike, and that strong national security awareness is critical.”

In Seo’s video, he is seen attending his younger brother’s wedding — a moment he should have been part of.

Seo’s mother, Kim Oh-bok, said through tears, “It’s been 15 years, but a mother’s pain never fades. When I see someone in a Marine uniform on the street, I still feel like my son is home on leave.”

Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back speaks during a memorial event remembering those who were killed in the Yeonpyeong Island shelling at Daejeon National Cemetery on Nov. 23. [YONHAP]

The shelling occurred at 2:34 p.m. on Nov. 23, 2010, when North Korea launched an unprovoked artillery attack on Yeonpyeong Island. Two Marines and two civilians were killed, and more than 10 others were injured as North Korea fired roughly 170 coastal artillery shells.

It was the first time since the Korean War (1950-53) that North Korea had launched a direct artillery strike on South Korean territory. In response, the Marine Corps returned fire with approximately 80 rounds from K9 self-propelled howitzers, inflicting greater casualties on the North and neutralizing enemy positions.

In 2021, the Ministry of National Defense changed the official name of the incident from the “Yeonpyeong Island shelling provocation” to the “Yeonpyeong Island shelling battle” to highlight the South Korean military's response.

About 280 people attended Sunday's memorial, including bereaved families, fellow service members, veterans, Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back, Marine Corps Commandant Ju Il-suk and other current and former military officials.

Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back, front row right, and bereaved family members of those who died in the Yeonpyeong Island shelling pay their respects to the deceased at Daejeon National Cemetery on Nov. 23. [NEWS1]

“History shows that true peace must be backed by strength,” Ahn said in a commemorative address. “We will establish a perfect state of military readiness against any threat or provocation from the enemy.”

Lawmakers Yu Yong-weon of the People Power Party and Baek Sun-hee of the Rebuilding Korea Party, both members of the National Assembly’s National Defense Committee, were also in attendance, along with former lawmaker Yoo Seong-min.

Ahn, who also serves as a Democratic Party lawmaker, attended as the defense minister. No sitting Democratic Party lawmakers were visibly present.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY LEE YU-JUNG [[email protected]]