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

K-pop vocal directors Jang Jin-young and Kim Seong-pil have become producers with a five-member virtual idol group aimed at Japan. Their A-TOP Universe project blends K-pop training with Japanese utaite and anime culture, and performances are planned in Tokyo on Nov. 13 and Osaka on Nov. 14. The pair said Japan was chosen as the first market because its anime, character and music culture fit the format. They plan to build a fan base there first and later expand to Korea.

Jang Jin-young has trained SM Entertainment acts including EXO, Red Velvet, SHINee, NCT, aespa, RIIZE and Hearts2Hearts.

The pair founded A-TOP Company in 2013 and later established A-TOP Universe to develop and produce their own artists.

The project’s character artwork took about two and a half years to develop.

The five members are being revealed one at a time, one every Wednesday.

Performances are planned in Tokyo on Nov. 13 and Osaka on Nov. 14.

Published Sep 12, 2026 12:00 am KST

A-TOP Universe director Kim Seong-pil, left, and CEO Jang Jin-young / Courtesy of A-TOP Universe

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.

Virtual Idol group PLAVE / Courtesy of Vlast

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.

韩国流行音乐声乐指导张振永和金成弼转型成为制作人，打造了一支面向日本市场的五人虚拟偶像组合。他们的“A-TOP Universe”项目融合了韩国流行音乐训练、日本歌唱家文化和动漫文化，并计划于11月13日在东京和14日在大阪举行演出。两人表示，之所以选择日本作为首个市场，是因为日本的动漫、角色和音乐文化与该项目的模式非常契合。他们计划先在日本建立粉丝群，然后再拓展到韩国市场。

张振永曾指导过 SM Entertainment 旗下的 EXO、Red Velvet、SHINee、NCT、aespa、RIIZE 和 Hearts2Hearts 等艺人。

两人于 2013 年创立了 A-TOP 公司，后来又成立了 A-TOP Universe，旨在培养和制作自己的艺人。

该项目的角色美术设计耗时约两年半才完成。

五名成员将逐一揭晓，每周三公布一名。

演出计划于11月13日在东京举行，11月14日在大阪举行。

发布于2026年9月12日凌晨12:00（韩国标准时间）

A-TOP Universe 总监金成弼（左）和首席执行官张镇荣 / 图片由 A-TOP Universe 提供

很难确切地说有多少韩国流行音乐艺人曾在张振永和金成弼这两位业内最杰出的声乐指导的指导下接受过训练，或者在录音棚里接受过他们的指导。

张先生曾为SM娱乐公司培养过众多艺人，包括EXO、Red Velvet、SHINee、NCT、aespa、RIIZE和Hearts2Hearts。金先生目前主要负责SM娱乐旗下The Black Label的艺人，同时也指导日本艺人，例如Avex旗下的XG和LDH旗下的艺人。多年来，他们携手打造了无数明星的歌喉。

这两位声乐指导现在转型成为制作人，他们的第一个项目是一个出人意料的选择——一个面向日本市场的五人虚拟偶像组合。

两人于2013年创立了A-TOP公司，此后凭借二十余年的声乐训练经验，与韩国及海外多家娱乐公司合作。之后，他们又成立了A-TOP Universe，致力于培养和打造自有艺人。他们的首个项目是一个融合日本亚文化与K-pop制作体系的“2.5次元”虚拟组合。

这家公司的野心远不止于复制韩国观众已经熟悉的虚拟偶像模式。该项目借鉴了日本的“唱见”（utaite）文化——歌手们在网上发布翻唱歌曲，通常采用动漫美学——并将其与K-pop的系统化训练和精湛的表演相结合。

一位日本知名动画艺术家参与了角色创作，演出计划于11月在东京和大阪举行。他们的目标是打造一场超越屏幕、触动人心的表演，让粉丝有机会聆听演员们的歌声，并亲身感受他们的技艺。

《韩国日报》采访了金和张，探讨了他们为何涉足虚拟偶像制作，为何选择日本作为他们的第一个市场，以及他们认为将 K-pop 和歌台文化结合起来有哪些可能性。

问：您多年来一直从事韩国流行音乐艺人的培训和指导工作。是什么促使您创建了自己的虚拟偶像团体？

张：金道宪在向我们介绍日本的唱见市场时，最先提出了这个项目。这些年来，我们经营声乐培训公司，接触过很多学生。他们当中许多人都非常有天赋，但由于各种实际原因，无法完全发挥自己的潜力。我们当时就在想，能不能和他们一起打造一种不同的娱乐事业。

起初我们对唱台市场并不熟悉，但我们对涉足这一领域的韩国艺术家寥寥无几感到好奇。随着项目筹备工作的推进，一些日本大型公司开始表现出兴趣，这让我们对其商业潜力充满信心。

最重要的是，我们看到了一个延长艺人职业生涯的机会。偶像通常年纪轻轻就出道，最终不得不考虑下一步该怎么走。然而，歌手却能随着经验的积累，发展出更浑厚的嗓音和更丰富的表现力。我们相信，虚拟音乐的形式能够提供一个平台，让有才华的艺术家无论年龄或外貌如何，都能保持更长时间的活跃状态。

金：我不想盲目地进入一个新行业。要和大型娱乐公司在同一条件下竞争，需要巨额资金。但我们看到，如果我们专注于我们最擅长的领域——音乐和培训，并进入一个韩国公司尚未涉足的市场，就有很大的机会。

在为XG进行训练和声乐指导的过程中，我一直在思考下一步该怎么走。我曾以培训师和导演的身份参与过许多项目，但我感觉下一步的最终目标是亲自担任艺人的制作人。这个项目正是在这种想法的驱动下诞生的。

问：虚拟偶像团体在韩国已经取得了成功。作为新晋团体，A-TOP Universe 的独特之处是什么？

张：我们从一开始就将日本市场牢牢锁定在目标范围内。我们的音乐风格介于K-pop和J-pop之间，视觉上则力求保持日本动漫的风格。这与先打造一个韩式虚拟偶像团体再将其推向日本市场截然不同。

我们邀请了一位日本知名的动画艺术家在日本进行角色设计，并从企划阶段就与日本合作伙伴紧密合作。我们深知，无论我们如何努力捕捉日本人的审美，人们自然会意识到这个组合源自韩国。因此，我们并没有试图掩盖这一点，而是希望充分发挥K-pop在训练和制作方面的优势，同时在作品中融入对日本文化的尊重和理解。

金：我认为像PLAVE这样的韩国虚拟偶像团体之所以成功，是因为它们通过K-pop的常见模式与观众建立了联系。但我们借鉴的日本歌台文化根源却截然不同。如果不了解日本亚文化，包括Vocaloid和动漫，就很难准确地表达音乐，也很难理解粉丝的喜好。

我们想创作融合动漫和韩流音乐优势的音乐，而不是简单地模仿其中任何一种。最终，我认为让我们脱颖而出的不仅是角色，还有配音演员的嗓音和现场表演的质量。

虚拟偶像团体PLAVE / 图片由Vlast提供

问：虚拟偶像项目进展到什么程度了？

张：我们将每周三陆续公布五位成员。我们融入了在日本备受关注的音乐潮流，包括复古舞曲，但我们的主要重点是展现每位成员独特的嗓音和个性。

角色美术设计耗时约两年半。由于本项目以日本动漫为根基，我们在视觉效果上投入了大量时间。初期，团队活动将围绕角色展开，但我们计划拓展角色的表情和动作，以创作更丰富的内容。

最重要的是，这些艺术家不仅歌唱实力强，而且舞台表现力十足。观众只有亲眼目睹他们的现场演出，才能真正感受到这个项目的魅力所在。我们计划于11月13日在东京，11月14日在大阪举办演出，并打算在日本大力推广。我们的目标是先在日本建立起稳固的粉丝基础，然后再在韩国开展活动。

问：您具体是如何将您在K-pop训练方面的专业知识运用到虚拟偶像的培养中的？

金：音乐制作的基本原理是一样的。但是，你强调的演唱技巧和表达方式会根据你瞄准的音乐类型和市场而有所不同。我们最初是按照教授K-pop的方式来做的，但是随着项目的推进，我们不得不重新思考很多事情。

唱咏音乐与其说是唱得好，不如说是将个人特色和韵味融入到每个乐句中。我们在K-pop中可能会刻意避免的鼻音或不寻常的演唱技巧，在唱咏音乐中反而可能成为一种魅力。就连成员们一开始也有些犹豫，问我们：“我们真的应该这样唱吗？”

我们开始沉浸于日本动漫的世界，聆听着动漫音乐，感受着角色们的情感表达。如果不深入了解日本文化，就很难想象我们需要怎样的表达方式。最大的挑战在于如何突破我们在K-pop中习以为常的精致包装，去理解并接纳那些能够引起日本粉丝共鸣的情感。

张：在整个录音过程中，我们也和一位日语老师合作，​​详细检查发音和歌词表达。毕竟我们的目标受众是日本人，所以我们必须确保当地的歌迷能够清楚地理解歌词。

混音方式也截然不同。在韩国可能听起来有些粗糙或机械的人声和音效，在日本却可能被视为该音乐类型的特色。我们会先把音乐、舞蹈和人声都做到高水准，然后由我们的日本合作伙伴根据当地的口味进行润色。我们并没有坚持己见，而是将双方的优势结合起来。

问：选择成员时最看重的是什么？

张：这五位都是我们关注多年的学生。他们非常有才华，但一直缺乏展现自己能力的平台。其中一些人之前有过偶像表演经历，所以他们的音乐根基更接近K-pop。

他们对音乐充满热情，除了演唱自己的部分之外，还会参与和声和编曲。我们认为，作为虚拟艺术家，不应该仅仅依靠角色魅力。我们选择的歌手，即使抛开角色设定，他们的歌声也足以打动人心，而且他们能够现场征服观众。

金：成员们可以通过现场表演真正展现各自的优势。我们最大的优势在于训练，而他们的优势在于天赋。我们希望仅凭成员们的歌声和舞台表演，就能给20岁到40岁的日本观众留下深刻而持久的印象。

问：为什么选择日本作为你的第一个市场？

张：日本拥有成熟的动漫和角色产业，歌唱（utaite）也发展成为一个独立的音乐市场。粉丝们并不满足于在线听歌，他们还会参加演唱会，并花费数年时间支持角色及其背后的歌手的成长。

虚拟偶像在韩国发展迅猛，但我们觉得日本的文化环境更适合作为我们项目的起点。如果我们先在日本站稳脚跟，然后再回到韩国，这段经历本身就能成为一个故事。

金：日本为艺术家提供了多种多样的工作方式。有人可能既是配音演员，又以虚拟艺术家的身份进行表演。在主业之外从事虚拟活动相对来说比较容易被接受。我们也被日本的文化所吸引，粉丝们既关注角色的故事，也关注扮演角色的歌手的音乐成长。

问：您认为虚拟形式能为艺术家们带来哪些新的可能性？

张：这些年来，我观察偶像和歌手时，发现有一件事令我感到沮丧。他们往往比出道时唱功更好、表演更有表现力，却因为年龄或形象问题而获得更少的表演机会。

如果虚拟艺人模式得以确立，它或许能为歌手们带来更长久的职业生涯。昔日的偶像可以持续发行新歌，继续活跃在舞台上，而不再只是像粉丝记忆中那样短暂回归。为才华横溢的艺术家们提供另一个舞台，正是该项目的主要目标之一。

问：您培养了这么多优秀的艺术家，作为制作人，首次参与制作项目，您是否感到压力？

张：我一直都是那种努力让学习变得有趣的老师。作为制作人，我并不觉得我必须马上取得巨大的成功，我更希望日本人听到的是：“乐坛出现了一个有趣又有才华的新组合。”

我们想走出一条不同于传统K-pop偶像和韩国现有虚拟组合的道路。我们不想一开始就抱有过高的期望，而是希望通过我们一步步打造的音乐和表演，展现我们独特的风格。

金：成为制作人并不意味着放弃我过去所做的一切。我把它看作是一个能将我所有经验发挥到极致的机会。作为一名培训师或导演，我只能将我的能力贡献给一个更大的项目。而这一次，我可以从头开始，从音乐到舞台，帮助塑造一位艺术家的职业生涯。

A-TOP创立之初，我们都是志同道合的同事。这一次，我们也汇聚了来自不同领域的优秀合作伙伴。我相信，有了他们的支持，即使在全新的市场，我们也能成就一番事业。

问：您最希望听到人们对这个项目的哪些评价？

张：我希望听到这样的评价：“这位艺术家令人兴奋，与我们在日本前所未见的艺术家截然不同。”虽然这个组合是在韩国成立的，但我希望人们能够意识到，我们真诚地努力去理解和尊重日本文化，而不仅仅是借用其表面元素。

金：归根结底，音乐好听，现场演出精彩。炫目的技术和精妙的概念固然重要，但我相信音乐和才华才是让歌迷不断追捧的根本。没有什么比听到有人看完演唱会后说：“我本来是冲着他们的角色来的，结果却被他们的歌声彻底征服了”更让我开心的了。

本文来自《韩国日报》（《韩国时报》的姊妹报），由人工智能生成系统翻译，并由《韩国时报》编辑。