• Journal of Fashion Business
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.110-125
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• 2023

Virtual idol groups are a product of changes in cultural content and development of digital technology. The purpose of this study is to derive the characteristics of technical expression and fashion of virtual idol groups of Korean entertainment companies, and the significance of this study is to provide basic data for creating a new content business model for virtual idol groups. The research method of this study consisted of literature research and case analysis. Korean virtual idol groups 'K/DA', 'Aespa', and 'Eternity', which show the evolved business model of the entertainment industry through rapid advances in digital technology, were selected as the subject of case analysis for this study, and newspaper articles were searched by keywords and analyzed. As a result of the study, the technical expressions shown in Korean virtual idol groups were 'implementation of realistic content through interaction technology', 'delicate motion expression through motion capture technology', and 'convergence of information between the real world and virtual world through AR technology', 'provision of experience similar to reality by VR technology' and 'formation of cultural contents by Deep Real technology' were deriven. In addition, the characteristics of the Korean virtual guide idol group's fashion are 'marketing strategy through collaboration with fashion items', 'giving recognition as a digital fashion icon of real existence', 'creating a sensuous image as a fashion brand ambassador' and 'fashion style expression of the Z generation's sensibility'.

• Journal of Korea Entertainment Industry Association
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• v.15 no.7
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• pp.1-15
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• 2021

With the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic situation, the attention on Metaverse has been soared throughout media and publications. Recently the entertainment industry is also changing to actively utilize the virtual world with artists working through Metaverse platforms. With the recent high interests on Metaverse, this study attempts to illuminate how the public perceives and accepts Metaverse experiences. While research on Metaverse has been mainly focused on specific technologies or technical objects, this study focuses on exploring how fans recognize and understand the concept of Metaverse through newly debuted idol group 'aespa', composing of 4 human members and 4 AI avatar members that integrate real and virtual world. For this, this study seeks to analyze the reaction and recognition of fans by exploring online community 'DC Inside'. As a result of analyzing the reactions of fans in the early days of aespa's debut, the perspectives of understanding AI members of aespa are categorized into three groups: first, the type of equating and accepting the real and the virtual world; second, the type of recognizing the real world and the virtual world separately and recognizing the virtual member as an avatar or concept, not a genuine member; and finally, a type of recognizing virtual worlds separately from reality. Based on these results, the implications that Metaverse contents may have in the entertainment industry are suggested.