Why K-pop vocal coaches behind EXO, aespa are betting on virtual idols in Japan

It’s hard to say exactly how many K-pop artists have trained under Jang Jin-young and Kim Seong-pil, two of the industry’s most prominent vocal directors, or received their guidance in the recording studio.

Jang has trained numerous SM Entertainment acts, including EXO, Red Velvet, SHINee, NCT, aespa, RIIZE and Hearts2Hearts. Kim currently works primarily with artists at The Black Label, while also coaching Japan-based acts including Avex-affiliated XG and artists under LDH. Together, they have spent years shaping the voices of countless stars.

The two vocal directors are now stepping into new roles as producers and their first act is an unexpected choice — a five-member virtual idol group aimed at the Japanese market.

The pair founded A-TOP Company in 2013 and have since worked with entertainment agencies in Korea and overseas, drawing on more than two decades of vocal training experience. They later established A-TOP Universe to develop and produce their own artists. Their first project is a “2.5D” virtual act combining Japanese subculture with the K-pop production system.

The company’s ambition goes beyond replicating the virtual idol model already familiar to Korean audiences. The project draws on Japan’s "utaite" culture of singers who post covers online, often drawing on anime aesthetics, and combines them with K-pop’s structured training and polished performances.

A prominent Japanese anime artist helped create the characters, with performances planned in Tokyo and Osaka in November. The goal is to build an act whose appeal extends beyond the screen, giving fans the chance to hear the performers’ voices and experience their skills live.

The Hankook Ilbo sat down with Kim and Jang to discuss why they ventured into virtual idol production, why they chose Japan as their first market and what possibilities they see in bringing K-pop and utaite culture together.

Q: You’ve spent years training and directing K-pop artists. What led you to create your own virtual idol group?

Jang: It was Kim Do-heon who first proposed the project while telling us about Japan’s utaite market. We’ve met so many students over the years running our vocal training company. Many were incredibly talented but couldn’t fully realize their potential for various practical reasons. We were already wondering whether we could build a different kind of entertainment business with them.

The utaite market was unfamiliar to us at first, but we were intrigued by how few Korean artists had ventured into it. As we prepared the project, major Japanese companies began taking an interest, which gave us confidence in its commercial potential.

Above all, we saw an opportunity to extend an artist's career. Idols typically debut at a young age and eventually reach a point where they have to consider what comes next. Singers, however, can develop richer voices and greater expressiveness as they gain experience. We believe the virtual format can provide a platform where talented artists can remain active for much longer, regardless of their age or appearance.

Kim: I didn’t want to dive blindly into a new business. Competing with major entertainment agencies on the same terms would require enormous capital. But we saw a real chance if we focused on what we do best, music and training, and entered a market that remained largely unexplored by Korean companies.

While working on training and vocal direction for XG, I kept wondering what the next step would be. I’d worked on many projects as a trainer and director, but I felt that taking the next step ultimately meant producing artists myself. This project grew out of that thinking.

Q: Virtual idol groups have already found success in Korea. As a newcomer, what sets A-TOP Universe apart?

Jang: We had the Japanese market firmly in mind from the outset. Our music sits somewhere between K-pop and J-pop, while visually we’ve tried to stay true to the feel of Japanese anime. That’s different from creating a Korean-style virtual idol group and then taking it to Japan.

We brought in a well-known Japanese anime artist to develop the characters in Japan and worked closely with Japanese partners from the planning stage. We know that however closely we capture Japanese sensibilities, people will naturally recognize that the group originated in Korea. So instead of trying to hide that, we wanted to make the most of K-pop’s strengths in training and production while bringing respect and understanding for Japanese culture to the work.

Kim: I think Korean virtual idol groups such as PLAVE have succeeded by connecting with audiences through the familiar conventions of K-pop. But Japan’s utaite culture, which we’re drawing on, has very different roots. Without an understanding of Japanese subculture, including Vocaloid and anime, it’s difficult to get the musical expression right or understand what appeals to fans.

We wanted to make music that combines the strengths of anime and K-pop without simply imitating either. Ultimately, I think what sets us apart will be not just the characters, but the voices and the quality of the live performances.

Q: How far along is the virtual idol project?

Jang: We’re revealing the five members one at a time, one every Wednesday. We’ve incorporated musical trends drawing attention in Japan, including retro dance music, but our main focus has been showcasing each member’s distinctive voice and character.

Developing the character artwork took about two and a half years. Because the project is rooted in Japanese anime, we invested considerable time in the visuals. Initially, the group’s activities will center on the characters, but we plan to expand their range of expressions and movements to create a wider variety of content.

Above all, these are artists who can sing and perform onstage. Audiences will get a real sense of what the project has to offer when they see them live. We’re planning performances in Tokyo on Nov. 13 and Osaka on Nov. 14, and we intend to make a strong push in Japan. Our goal is to establish a solid fan base there first, then begin activities in Korea as well.

Q: How specifically have you applied your K-pop training expertise to developing virtual idols?

Kim: The fundamentals of making music are the same. But the vocal techniques and forms of expression you emphasize vary depending on the genre and market you’re targeting. We initially approached it the way we taught K-pop, but as the project progressed, we had to rethink a lot.

Utaite music is less about simply singing well and more about bringing your own character and flavor to each phrase. Nasal tones or unusual vocal techniques we might try to smooth out in K-pop can actually be part of the appeal in utaite music. Even the members were unsure at first, asking us, “Are we really supposed to sing like this?”

We started immersing ourselves in Japanese anime, listening to the music alongside the characters’ emotional delivery. Without getting deep into that culture, it was difficult to imagine the kind of expression we needed. The biggest challenge was going beyond the polish we were used to in K-pop and embracing the sensibilities that resonate with Japanese fans.

Jang: We also worked with a Japanese teacher throughout the recording process, checking pronunciation and lyrical delivery in detail. We’re targeting Japanese audiences, after all, so we had to make sure local fans could clearly understand the lyrics.

Mixing was different as well. Vocal tones and effects that might sound somewhat rough or mechanical in Korea could be accepted as features of the genre in Japan. We would get the music, choreography and vocals up to a high standard, then our Japanese partners would refine them to suit local tastes. Rather than insist on doing things our own way, we brought together what each side did best.

Q: What mattered most when selecting the members?

Jang: All five are students whose progress we’ve followed for years. They’re very talented, but they haven’t had enough opportunities to show what they can do. Some have performed as idols before, so their foundations are closer to K-pop.

They’re passionate enough about music to contribute backing vocals and help with arrangements, beyond simply singing their parts. We felt that being virtual artists shouldn’t mean relying solely on the appeal of their characters. We chose people whose voices could stand on their own, even without the characters, and who could win over an audience live.

Kim: The members can really set themselves apart through live performances. Our greatest strength is our training, and theirs is their talent. We want to make a strong, lasting impression on Japanese audiences in their 20s through their 40s through the members’ voices and stage performances alone.

Q: Why did you choose Japan as your first market?

Jang: Japan has well-established anime and character industries, and utaite has become a music market in its own right. Fans don’t stop at listening online. They attend concerts and spend years supporting the growth of both the characters and the artists behind them.

Virtual idols are growing rapidly in Korea, but we felt Japan’s cultural environment was a more natural starting point for our project. If we establish ourselves in Japan before coming back to Korea, that journey could become a story in itself.

Kim: Japan offers artists a variety of ways to work. Someone might work as a voice actor while also performing under a separate identity as a virtual artist. Pursuing virtual activities alongside a main career is relatively well accepted. We were also drawn to a culture where fans enjoy both the character’s story and the musical growth of the singer behind it.

Q: What new possibilities do you think the virtual format can open up for artists?

Jang: There’s something I’ve found disheartening over the years watching idols and singers. Often, they’re much better singers and more expressive performers than when they debuted, yet they have fewer opportunities to perform because of their age or image.

If virtual artists become firmly established, the format could give singers much longer careers. Former idols could keep releasing new music and remain active performers, rather than briefly returning as the stars fans remember. Giving talented artists another stage is one of the main goals of this project.

Q: Having trained so many leading artists, do you feel pressure with your first project as producers?

Jang: I’ve always been the kind of teacher who tries to make learning fun. Rather than feel that I have to deliver a huge success right away as a producer, I’d like people in Japan to say, “There’s a fun, talented new group on the scene.”

We’re trying to take a different path from both conventional K-pop idols and Korea’s established virtual groups. Instead of expecting too much from the outset, we want to show our own identity through the music and performances we build up, one at a time.

Kim: Becoming a producer doesn’t mean leaving behind everything I’ve done. I see it as a chance to put all that experience to its fullest use. As a trainer or director, I could only contribute part of what I had to offer to a larger project. This time, I can help shape an artist’s career from the beginning, from the music to the stage.

When we first started A-TOP, we came together as colleagues who shared a vision. This time, too, we’ve brought together great partners from different fields. With them, I believe we can achieve something meaningful even in a new market.

Q: What would you most like to hear people say about this project?

Jang: I’d love to hear, “Here’s an exciting artist unlike anything we’ve seen in Japan before.” Although the group was created in Korea, I hope people recognize that we’ve made a sincere effort to understand and respect Japanese culture, rather than just borrow its surface elements.

Kim: Ultimately, that the music is good and they’re great live. Impressive technology and elaborate concepts matter, but I believe music and talent are what keep fans coming back. Nothing would make me happier than hearing someone leave a concert saying, “I came for the characters, but I was blown away by the singing.”

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