HALL.NEO
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MEET NEO
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ABOUT the project
WHAT IS HALLNEO?
HallNeo aims to be a platform where the audience can understand and dive into the phenomenon of K-Pop virtual idols by introducing who they are, how they are produced, and how they are impacting the K-Pop scene.
CASE IN POINT: VIDEO
Get to know PLAVE
Plave is a virtual boy group who is the most successful among their ranks. With hit songs, music show wins, and successful music show win, Plave is an interesting point to understand what virtual idols are.Play video >>
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VIRTUAL HUMANS IN K-POP
South Korea tried its hand at producing virtual pop stars after the appearance of Kyoko Date, a computer-generated singer from Japan. Kyoko Date is among the first publicized attempts at making a virtual idol who can sing, dance, and model.The initiative to make “cyber singers” started in 1996 and has achieved fleeting success until the turn of the millennium. The following years, the virtual singers only exists in niche communities. ss Two decades later, K-Pop is seeing the public re-emergence of the “cyber singers” now called “virtual idols”. They are now in media spaces where “human K-Pop idols” exist.
ADAM
Years Active: 1998-1999
Company: AdamSoft
ADAM debuted in January 1998 and is considered the first virtual K-Pop singer. He was labeled a "cyber singer" during his time. Adam is voiced by a singer Park Seung Chul and is rendered and animated through computer graphics.
He sold over 200,000 copies of physical albums, had endorsement deals, and TV appearances. Adam achieved fleeting success due to the audience’s loss of interest, technological limitations, and the cost of production. Upon his disappearance, he was announced to have joined the mandatory military service, while the public jokingly said he was wiped out by the Y2K glitch.
Years Active: 2011-present
Company: SBSA&T (formerly SBSArTech)
SeeU is the first Korean Vocaloid released on October 21, 2011. Kim Dahee from the K-pop girl group GLAM provided a voice for this project.
SEEU
IITERNITI
Years Active: 2021-present
Company: Pulse9
Debuted in March 2021 under Pulse9, a tech company focusing on artificial intelligence. They debuted with the song I’m Real. This group focuses on deep fake technology to produce low-cost virtual idols. The group was marketed as an 11-member “AI girl group.” They have hyper-real avatars made with AI, but actors or singers are contracted to act behind the avatars to whom the deep-fake filters are superimposed. There are no fixed human actors behind the avatars. In behind the scenes shared by the company, some contracted singers and rappers behind the avatars were revealed. The company CEO keeps reminding that the girl group members have fictional identities.
The group mainly uses its YouTube channel to share its music content, as well as interviews and behind-the-scenes videos. They mainly communicate using pre-recorded video messages.
Years Active: 2021-present
Company: Waktaverse
The six-member virtual group was formed by live streamer Woowakgood and debuted on December 17, 2021, through their debut single, "Re : Wind". The group started as a passion project which invited female vTubers to audition as part of the group. The project received hundreds of auditionees, who were evaluated based on their singing and broadcast entertainment qualities.
Their songs charted on various Korean music charts, and they hold fan meetings through VR Chat. Every member broadcasts as a vTuber using their YouTube channels.
ISEGYE IDOL
SUPERKIND
Years Active: 2022-present
Company: Deep Studio Entertainment
A seven-member boy group with both human and virtual members. They have two virtual members, Saejin and Seung, with hyperrealistic avatars. Although marketed as AI members, the technology used is mainly 3D modeling and motion capture. The people whose voices and whom the movements were captured from are undisclosed.
They are marketed as a decentralized idol group because fans are given control over their content and concepts on the Discord server.
Years Active: 2023-present
Company: Metaverse Entertainment (Netmarble Corporation subsidiary)
Mave: is a four-member girl group with realistic avatar presentation that debuted on January 25, 2023 with songs Pandora and Wonderland. They use motion capture technology to generate movements and use undisclosed performers to voice the avatars. Their avatar and some of the movements were made and controlled using a 3D computer graphics engine.
The group uses an AI voice generator to communicate in other languages, including French, English, and Bahasa. The group can also perform on K-pop music shows broadcast on TV and online. They mainly communicate using pre-recorded video messages.
MAVE:
PLAVE
Years Active: 2023-present
Company: Vlast
Plave is a five-member virtual boy group who debuted in March 12, 2023 with album Asterum. They use motion capture technology, computer-generated image, and 3D modeling to present their avatar. Their second mini-album sold over 500,000 physical copies, while they charted on various domestic and international music charts.
Originally, they interacted with fans through livestreaming and Daum FanCafe only. Later, they joined WeVerse and Bubble, making them the first virtual idols to use these platforms mainly used by human K-Pop idols.
Years Active: May to September 2023
Company: Kakao Entertainment
FE:VERSE is a five-member virtual girl group formed through a survival reality show held in virtual reality. The contestants are members of existing K-pop groups. Their identity was concealed by avatars to highlight their talent, personality, and charisma. But the audience was able to guess the members behind them.
They debuted on May 9, 2023 with the mini-album Cho, but their existence was short-lived and was disbanded on September 26, 2023.
FE:VERSE
