Cha Eun-woo VR concert opens new frontier for K-pop

A scene from the film “Cha Eun-woo VR Concert: Memories.” Courtesy of AMAZE

Imagine K-pop star Cha Eun-woo stepping just inches from your face, gazing into your eyes, and singing a love song. That’s the premise behind “Cha Eun-woo VR Concert: Memories,” a virtual reality (VR) concert film that premiered in Korea on June 18.

Designed to feel like a one-on-one date with the singer, the 58-minute experience blends music performance with interactive storytelling and monodrama, offering fans an intimate 3D encounter that feels almost real.

The fourth K-pop VR concert film to hit theaters, following releases from aespa, EXO’s Kai, and Tomorrow X Together, “Memories” experiments with a hybrid format that pushes the boundaries of virtual K-pop entertainment.

Though only screened at two VR-equipped theaters in Seoul, the film has generated buzz. By July 1, it had attracted 2,279 moviegoers. With each ticket priced at 33,000 won ($24), more than double the price of a regular movie pass, its total revenue rivals that of films with audiences exceeding 8,000.

The film’s reach, however, extends well beyond Korea. After its domestic release, it opened in Japan, China and Taiwan on June 20, and in Vietnam on June 27, with further rollouts planned in Mexico, Singapore, Hong Kong and Indonesia.

According to Lee Seung-joon, CEO of production company AMAZE, international sales are the main driver. “Ninety-two percent of our revenue comes from overseas,” he said. “For example, ‘Tomorrow X Together: Hyperfocus in Cinema,’ which we released last year, drew 170,000 viewers across 20 cities and earned between 7 billion and 8 billion won.”

K-pop VR films: low cost, global upside

Produced in just one day and completed with three to four months of post-production, “Memories” was made with minimal live elements.

Besides the cast, costumes, and a few props, nearly everything else, including the immersive sets, was rendered using computer graphics. Artificial intelligence significantly reduced the cost of computer-generated production.

“Without AI, a film like this might cost tens of billions of won or more,” Lee said. “With AI support, we cut that to less than one-tenth. For this project, nearly half of the total visuals were created using AI.”

Founded in Silicon Valley in 2015 by former Kakao employees, AMAZE has since relocated to Los Angeles and focused exclusively on VR music content. The company has worked with international artists including Megan Thee Stallion, Zara Larsson, T-Pain, and Avenged Sevenfold.

Lee said earlier projects like those with aespa and Kai were more like pilots, while the TXT VR concert was the first title aimed at global release.

Audience members watch “Cha Eun-woo VR Concert: Memories” wearing VR headsets at a theater in Seoul. Courtesy of AMAZE

A bigger future for K-pop in extended reality

Despite the technological excitement, VR content still faces barriers. Headsets remain expensive, lack portability and have yet to find a killer app that brings mass appeal.

According to U.K.-based research firm Omdia, global VR headset sales declined by 10 percent last year, while active users dropped by eight percent.

These issues are why AMAZE opted to install headsets directly in theaters rather than release the content online or via Blu-ray.

Still, the long-term potential of XR (extended reality, including VR) is vast. Industry forecasts estimate the XR market could exceed 2,000 trillion won by 2032.

Experts believe K-pop VR films could significantly boost the genre’s added value, transforming the fan experience and opening new revenue streams.

AMAZE plans to release three more K-pop-related VR films later this year. “Display technology is moving toward limitless formats,” Lee said. “We’re going to see dramatic changes in how people experience sports, movies, concerts, and musicals.”

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, a sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.