Korea Joongang Daily
Korea JoongAng Daily

Virtual boy band Plave teases Sanrio collaboration for new single 'PLBBUU'

Plave meets Kuromi and My Melody — the virtual boy band will collaborate with Japanese character brand Sanrio for its upcoming new single "PLBBUU," set for release on Nov. 10.

2025-10-24

Virtual idols, now surging in popularity, poised to transform the K-pop industry landscape

Once dismissed as a fringe subculture, virtual idols are now filling stadiums, topping music charts and edging closer to the mainstream K-pop spotlight — backed by billions of dollars and powerful tech.

2025-10-08

Man arrested for bomb threat against virtual idol group Plave concert

A man in his 20s has been arrested after posting an online threat to plant explosives at a concert of virtual idol group Plave, police said Wednesday.

2025-08-20

G-Dragon, Plave are Melon's most popular artists of 2025 so far

G-Dragon and Plave topped Melon’s streaming charts for the first half 2023, with Plave amassing over 950 million streams and G-Dragon the most listeners.

2025-07-07

Can HUNTR/X and Saja Boys cross into reality?

Fans of the Netflix animation "KPop Demon Hunters" felt like a piece of them died when the end of the film meant the end of the music, but maybe that doesn't have to be the case.

2025-07-04

Plave, Rosé, aespa receive nominations for upcoming Music Awards Japan

Virtual boy band Plave, singer Rosé of Blackpink and girl group aespa have secured numerous nominations at the upcoming Music Awards Japan (MAJ) 2025.

2025-05-22

Virtual boy band Plave to open first Asia tour with KSPO Dome show

Virtual boy band Plave will kick off its first-ever Asia tour with a concert at the KSPO Dome, becoming the first virtual K-pop group to book one of the largest music venues in Korea.

2025-05-16

C2C re-commerce platform Global Bunjang brings secondhand K-pop merch to the worldwide masses

Bunjang's Global Bunjang offers overseas fans access to K-pop merchandise, providing a platform for secondhand goods and international shipments. The service has seen significant growth, with K-pop items dominating transactions.

2025-03-29

Plave’s 'Dash' becomes first virtual idol song on Billboard Global 200

“Dash” from virtual boy band Plave’s latest EP, “Caligo Pt.1,” debuted at No. 195 on the Billboard Global 200 chart released on Wednesday.

2025-02-21

Comedian Kim Shin-young apologizes for criticism of virtual idol group Plave

Comedian Kim Shin-young apologized to the virtual idol group Plave and its fans on Monday after she came under fire for making "disrespectful" comments about the virtual boy band.

2025-02-18