From Virtual Idols to Defectors and Chinese Members... K-Pop Industry Evolving into New Forms

The K-pop industry is expanding beyond traditional idol concepts by adopting various forms such as virtual idols, groups featuring defector members, and groups composed entirely of Chinese members. PLAVE, a virtual idol group, operates by having real human artists transformed through motion capture technology, taking a different approach from entities like Britain’s Gorillaz and Japan’s vocal software Hatsune Miku. Lee Seong-gu, CEO of VLAST, explained, “From the start, we planned for real artists to perform instead of using AI. After seeing the success of Japan’s VTuber market, we realized that the abilities of actual performers are a key factor in popularity.” PLAVE’s five members—Ye-jun, Noah, Bamby, Eunho, and Hamin—are responsible for everything from music production and choreography creation to live performances and web streaming. Meanwhile, 1Verse is the first boy band in K-pop history to include defector members from North Korea. Yu Hyuk (25) and Kim Seok (24) left North Korea at a young age and are currently active alongside Japanese member Ito and American Asian-born members Kenny and Nathan. Yu Hyuk grew up in a seaside village in Ryongsong County, North Korea, with his father and grandmother before living as a beggar near the Chinese border at age 9. He defected at his father’s suggestion in 2013 and met his mother who arrived in South Korea months later. Despite facing difficulties in school, he expressed his loneliness in North Korea and his longing for his father through writing, which later evolved into music. His rap song “Ordinary Person” includes the line “the loneliest of all” to convey a sense of isolation. Kim Seok also comes from North Korea but lived near the Chinese border where he was exposed to K-dramas and K-pop. 1Verse aims to make its debut in the United States this year and dreams of performing in North Korea someday. Bling1, a group composed entirely of Chinese members, is also attracting attention. Bling1 China, born through the 32-country K-pop project “Click the Star,” is the second Bling1 project following Bling1 Peru. Member Junie said, “As a Chinese person, I wanted to come to Korea, absorb its charm, while at the same time spreading China’s charm in Korea.” She cited BLACKPINK and TWICE as her role models. Member Cash stated, “This project is a big challenge for each of us members and an opportunity to showcase Chinese music and style.” Member Chloe emphasized, “It means a lot to represent China, and I will bridge K-pop and C-pop.” Bling1 held a showcase at the Seoul World K-Pop Center on the 12th to celebrate the release of their second digital single “Bubble Gun,” with the official release of the track coming on the 13th. Genderless concepts are also a new trend in the K-pop industry. Last month, the four-member boy group XLOV made its debut under the slogan “K-pop’s first genderless concept.” In the music video for their debut song “I’mma Be,” the members expressed gender-fluid aesthetics through heavy makeup and outfits that combined pants and skirts. Park Jae-yong, CEO of 257 Entertainment, XLOV’s agency, explained, “The members are not identifying as genderless in terms of identity; it is a concept chosen to distinguish themselves from other groups. Our goal is to express beauty without gender boundaries.” G-Dragon of BIGBANG gained attention for his bold fashion style, including wrapping his hair in a scarf and wearing a red cardigan, while BTS’s Jimin has drawn focus for his genderless fashion, such as wearing skirts over pants.