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Reuters

The five members of Plave, one of K-pop’s trendiest groups, have appeared on television, held concerts, and one of their songs has even secured a place in the prestigious Billboard Global 200, an international music chart.
On paper, they seem like any other K-pop sensation, except that they are two-dimensional avatars. Their songs and content have racked up over 470 million views on YouTube.
The band, consisting of Yejun, Noah, Eunho, Bamby and Hamin, say they want to be globally recognised like K-pop sensation BTS.
“We don’t often get to meet our fans, so when we meet them at a concert we get very excited,” said Bamby, who has pink hair and eyes. “They cheer for us together … we make an all-out effort when we perform.”

PLAVE
JP 1ST SINGLE
「かくれんぼ」
Coming Soon#PLAVE #プレイブ#PLAVE_JP_1ST_SINGLE#PLAVE_Kakurenbo pic.twitter.com/9fUmNCtkmP
— PLAVE JAPAN OFFICIAL (@plave_jp) April 30, 2025

Plave’s label, Vlast, says that, unlike many other virtual groups, the avatars are controlled by humans who use motion-capture and other technology to relay their actions and singing.
However, Vlast keeps the identities of the humans behind the avatars a secret, so they spoke on condition of anonymity.
Since their debut in 2023, Plave have broken streaming records and topped music charts in South Korea. Their latest album, Caligo Pt.1, released earlier this year, sold over one million copies in one week.
“For concerts, we connect our in-house motion capture studio directly to the actual concert venue in real-time,” Vlast CEO Lee Sung-gu said.
“This set-up includes a feedback system that allows the members to see fan reactions from the concert venue as they perform.”












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Despite the rise of artificial intelligence, Lee says his company plans to expand on the motion-capture technique.
“It’s our unique strength,” he said.
There is little difference between virtual and real-life idols to Chang Ya-han, a 30-year-old Taiwanese fan who learned about Plave on Instagram.
“The love they give us, the way they drive us to become better, or how I wake up every day wanting to see them, that feeling is the same,” she said at a crowded fan event in the South Korean capital, Seoul.
Vlast describes itself as a “virtual entertainment” start-up and said it received equity investments from K-pop labels Hybe and YG Plus early last year, as artificial intelligence and the metaverse are increasingly embraced by the multimillion-dollar K-pop industry.

According to Seoul-based music critic Kim Do-heon, Plave’s success hinges on its interaction with fans.
“It’s expensive to go to an idol group’s concert and you need to use a paid messaging app to interact with them these days,” Kim said. “But the accessibility of cyber singers makes it much easier to like them.”
Plave were the first virtual idol group to enter Billboard’s Global 200 chart. Their second mini album, Asterum 134-1, released in 2024, ranked No 1 in sales on Japan’s HMV&Books K-pop chart.
They are set to make their official debut in Japan this June, signalling their next step towards global expansion.
On May 1, the group revealed a teaser image for their coming Japanese debut single “Kakurenbo”. The single is scheduled for release on June 16. The title translates to “Hide and Seek” in English.

The teaser image features a retro-style camcorder shot of the members standing in a quiet Japanese underpass, evoking a sense of mystery and nostalgia that hints at the single’s concept.
Pre-orders for the physical version of Plave’s first Japanese single will begin at 11am on May 8.
On May 2, the group also launched their official Japanese fan club, marking the start of full-scale activities in the country.
This article includes additional reporting from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.


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Plave, a record-breaking virtual group blending human motion-capture with two-dimensional avatars, are aiming for global fame like BTS


Plave, a record-breaking virtual group blending human motion-capture with two-dimensional avatars, are aiming for global fame like BTS.


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As famous as BTS? Meet Plave, virtual K-pop boy band whose real identities are kept secret

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Plave, a record-breaking virtual group blending human motion-capture with two-dimensional avatars, are aiming for global fame like BTS

Plave, a record-breaking virtual group blending human motion-capture with two-dimensional avatars, are aiming for global fame like BTS