"Virtual idol" was one of the key highlights of the K-pop scene last year. Riding on the tide, they are set to continue their careers, while more virtual idols are slated to debut, gearing up to compete with real-life artists.

PLAVE, the five-piece group which was considered the first successfully debuted virtual act, is set to release its third mini-album “Caligo Pt.1” on Feb. 3, about five months after the digital single “Pump Up The Volume!” released last August.

The group has been sharing teasers and concept photos for the upcoming album since earlier this month, working up towards the release.

“(The group) is raising anticipation for the new album with a mature visual and concept, which is the complete opposite of the playful and energetic charm it showed with the previous single,” the group’s agency, VLAST, said in an announcement.

Prior to the release, the group joined hands with cinema chain CGV for a special promotion, offering posters at about 25 CGV theaters across the country. Some theaters will screen clips from the new album’s music video.

The group, which debuted in 2023 with the song “Wait for you,” stirred up a boom in the virtual idol trend, making hits with its songs. All seven of the group's songs released in its debut year made it into the Melon chart, and the group has sold over 200,000 copies of its first mini-album “ASTERUM : The Shape of Things to Come” within the first week of its release, becoming the first virtual idol act to reach the milestone.

The previous single “Pump Up The Volume!” topped Melon’s HOT100, TOP100 on the day of its release and notched the top prize on a music show.

Isegye Idol, a project group created by YouTuber Woowakgood, is also slated to release its fourth single this year. Since debuting in 2021 with the single “RE: WIND,” the group has built a strong fan base through song releases and different collaborations with Kakao for a webtoon based on the group.

The six-piece group held its first in-person pop-up store last February for two weeks at The Hyundai Seoul in Yeouido. Hyundai Department Store revealed that the group’s pop-up generated the highest revenue of all pop-up stores opened there in 2024, accumulating 3.8 billion won ($2.65 million).

SM's first virtual artist, naevis, will also be picking up her act since making her official debut in September with the single “Done.” She recently unveiled her upcoming song “Sensitive,” showcasing the performance at SM’s 30th anniversary concerts “SMTOWN LIVE 2025,” held at Gocheok Sky Dome in southwestern Seoul's Guro District, Jan. 11 and 12.

New virtual artists are set to make their debuts, joining the competition.

Boy group SKINZ, created by Bridge Entertainment, will be debuting with an album this year. The seven-piece act dropped a teaser last month during SBS’ year-end music awards, SBS Gayo Daejeon, building anticipation for its debut album produced by star producer EL CAPITXN.

Isegye Idol’s agency Parable Entertainment is also working on IRISE, another virtual group to roll out next month.

Japanese video game publisher Bandai Namco Entertainment’s virtual idol project Den-On-Bu is also planning to come to Korea after signing a franchise deal with the local entertainment company. (Lee Gyu-lee/The Korea Times)