Virtual Idol PLAVE Appointed as Seoul’s First Startup Ambassador

The virtual idol group PLAVE, which bridges the virtual world and reality, has been appointed as Seoul’s first ambassador for “Startup Seoul.” On August 12, the Seoul City Hall held a ceremony to appoint the ambassadors for “2025 Startup Seoul” and the “Try Everything” promotion team in the main conference room of the city hall. PLAVE is a five-member boy group consisting of Yejun, Noah, Bamby, Eunho, and Hamin, known for being all-rounders who handle songwriting, composition, and choreography themselves. Since their Debut in 2023, they achieved 2.7 million streams on the first day for their Japanese single “Kakurenbo,” released in June, making it the first Japanese song to enter Melon’s Hall of Fame. They have also won awards at the Golden Disc Awards (January 2025) and the Seoul Music Awards (June 2025), and have surpassed 2 billion cumulative Melon streams. Starting with a concert in Seoul this month, they are scheduled to hold an Asian tour in six cities, including Taiwan, Tokyo, and Bangkok. A unique scene took place during the appointment ceremony, as the virtual world and reality were connected in real time. When Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon handed over the appointment letter to Lee Sung-gu, CEO of PLAVE’s agency Blast, the group members received it in real time from the virtual world “Asterum” displayed on a large screen. The PLAVE members said, “We are honored to have this opportunity to showcase Seoul’s excellent startup ecosystem to the world. We will spread Seoul’s charm together with our global fans.” Blast, PLAVE’s agency, is a Seoul-based startup with motion-capture-based 3D content production technology and is recognized as an innovative example of K-content. Seoul City believes that “PLAVE, with its global fanbase, and Blast, with its digital content production capabilities, form the ideal combination to promote Seoul as a city great for starting businesses” to the world. This aligns with Seoul City’s policy to strengthen its startup ecosystem. This year, Seoul ranked 8th out of 300 cities worldwide in “Global Startup Ecosystem Report 2025” by Startup Genome, a global startup ecosystem evaluation agency. Following 9th place last year, it has made it into the top 10 for two consecutive years, achieving its highest ranking to date. In the report, Seoul received high scores of 9 or above in five out of six evaluation categories, including knowledge accumulation and funding (both 10 points) and ecosystem activity, market entry, creative experience, and talent development (all 9 points). By appointing PLAVE as its ambassador, Seoul City aims to rise to among the global top 5. At the global startup festival “Try Everything,” held at Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) from September 11 to 12, plans include broadcasting PLAVE’s videos and setting up mannequins and photo zones to create spaces for visitors to enjoy. Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon said, “This year, Seoul ranked 8th in the world as a city great for starting businesses.” He added, “To create a city where young people can realize their dreams and take further steps forward, we will provide comprehensive support including space provision, talent development, and deregulation, so as to truly establish Seoul as a leading startup city.”