The Korea Herald

지나쌤

KOCCA, KBS team up for immersive K-pop show for global fans

By Jie Ye-eun

Published : Nov. 28, 2021 - 14:51

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Mamamoo’s Hwasa performs “I’m a B” on KBS music program “Music Bank” on Friday. (KBS Kpop YouTube channel) Mamamoo’s Hwasa performs “I’m a B” on KBS music program “Music Bank” on Friday. (KBS Kpop YouTube channel)
The Korea Creative Content Agency and state-run broadcaster KBS are joining hands to present immersive K-pop shows for Hallyu fans around the world, featuring augmented reality and extended reality content.

The state agency and broadcaster presented Friday’s episode of the popular KBS K-pop program “Music Bank” to 114 countries on KBS 2TV, KBS World TV and the KBS World YouTube channel. The title was “Music Bank With K-Content,” and the live show featured 18 K-pop acts, including boy bands SF9 and Monsta X, Mamamoo’s Hwasa and girl group Weki Meki.

Brave Girls’ 2020 song “We Ride” and N.Flying’s megahit “Rooftop” featured extended reality technology, a blend of augmented reality and virtual reality that enables immersive ways of interacting with computer-generated 3D images and simulations. SF9’s “Trauma,” Hwasa’s “I’m a B” and Jang Woo-hyuk’s “Tonight” made use of augmented reality.

It was the first time KBS had incorporated innovative technologies into a music program. Starting Tuesday, global K-pop fans can enjoy “Music Bank With K-Content” on Naver Z’s metaverse platform as well, according to KOCCA and KBS.

KOCCA and KBS also started uploading a series of YouTube clips Friday, in which K-pop artists and other local celebrities introduce various Korean cultural content such as games, dramas, variety shows, webtoon series and even makeup trends.

Comedian Kim Hae-jun, who plays the beloved character Choi Jun on a popular YouTube channel, talks with cast members from the Netflix drama series “Squid Game” in a segment to be uploaded on KOCCA and KBS’ YouTube channels Dec. 3.

“The latest K-pop show, which utilized immersive technologies and Hallyu fans’ communication through a metaverse platform, will play a great role in spreading the Korean Wave in the digital economy era,” said Park Seung-ryong, head of KOCCA’s global business division.