K-pop Enters 5th Generation with AI Virtual Idols; PLAVE and ISEGAEIDOL Expand Fanbases

The K-pop industry has entered its 5th generation with the emergence of AI-based virtual idols. Building upon restrained soundscapes, emotion-focused music, and real-time communication through platforms, a new content ecosystem where reality and virtuality intersect is now taking shape. K-pop idols originated in the late 1990s with the debut of the 1st generation groups such as H.O.T., Juckskis, and Fin.K.L. This generation laid the foundation for fan culture elements like cheering balloons and raincoats. The 2nd generation, which emerged in the mid-2000s with groups like Dongbangshinqi, BIGBANG, and Girls' Generation, began expanding overseas to countries including Japan and China. The 3rd generation, featuring BTS, EXO, BLACKPINK, TWICE, and SEVENTEEN, ushered in an era of global fan interaction through YouTube and social media. The 4th generation appeared around 2020, with groups such as TOMORROW X TOGETHER, ENHYPEN, aespa, NewJeans, and Stray Kids rapidly building large fanbases by creating impactful content on digital platforms like TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Weverse. Currently, the 5th generation is led by groups like NewJeans, RIIZE, TWICE, ZEROBASEONE, and ILLIT, who drive trends in easy-listening music with retro aesthetics and minimalist compositions. A particularly notable change is the rise of AI-based virtual idols. In 2020, SM Entertainment introduced aespa, incorporating each member’s virtual self named “ae” into its universe to create a novel concept that blends reality and virtuality. Following this, groups such as PLAVE, composed entirely of virtual members, and ISEGAEIDOL marked the official beginning of the virtual idol era. The five-member group PLAVE, which debuted in 2023, has expanded its fanbase across YouTube, television broadcasts, and music streaming platforms. Its digital single “Fum Up the Volume” reached number 1 on the Melon Top100 chart just 6 hours after release and accumulated 2 billion streams on Melon, earning it a spot in the Billions Club Silver Club. It also surpassed 1 million YouTube subscribers and proved itself to be more than just an experimental project by winning music show awards and various honors. The six-member group ISEGAEIDOL, formed through an audition organized by internet broadcaster Uwagut in 2021, achieved notable results with its debut album “RE:WIND,” reaching number 80 on the Melon TOP100 chart, number 1 on Bugs, and number 1 on the Gaon Download Chart. AI virtual idols carry out activities similar to real idols through deep learning-based vocal synthesis, motion capture, and real-time broadcasting systems. Motion capture is a technology that converts human movements into digital forms using sensors attached to the body or infrared signals, enabling online performances and streaming broadcasts that allow real-time interaction with fans. Fans support these virtual idols just as they would real stars and communicate directly through social media. Virtual idols can engage in continuous activities without emotional or physical exhaustion, and thanks to their infinite scalability and stable content production capacity, they adopt growth strategies distinct from the traditional idol industry. Tech-savvy Generation Z and Alpha, who have been exposed to AI since childhood as part of the virtual reality generation, naturally show interest in virtual idols. However, concerns also exist. Issues such as identity confusion resulting from blurred boundaries with human idols, the authenticity of emotional connection, and most notably, the potential to replace human labor have been raised. The president of the Virtual Human Industry Association stated, “The driving force behind the virtual idol industry are virtual YouTubers, who have created a new genre based on K-pop’s globally recognized vocal and choreographic systems.” He added, “If virtual idol IPs can operate independently in metaverse spaces in the future, fans will build endless ecosystems within these virtual environments.”