SKT brings K-pop fan community service to metaverse platform

SK Telecom's new K-pop hotel service at its metaverse platform, ifland (SK Telecom)

South Korean mobile carrier SK Telecom has unveiled a new K-pop service for its metaverse platform, ifland, designed as an arena where K-pop idols and their global fans gather and communicate with one another.

Starting Monday, ifland will offer a fan community service with hotel-style spaces enabling fans to meet different K-pop groups and solo artists on each floor. Its introduction page provides an overview of the hotel's floors, while an artist lounge where each K-pop idol can check in to the floor of his or her choice, and a member room is dedicated to each individual group member.

The first to check in will be SM Entertainment girl group aespa, occupying the 99th floor. The virtual girl group iflandies will be located on the second floor. Rookie boy band Riize and Sandara Park are also set to join by the end of the month and in September, respectively.

In the artist lounge, fans can engage with various content, including artist boards, a large art wall and volumetric features. The member rooms will offer exclusive content such as a secret frame, which is revealed after solving a quiz related to the member, and the artist’s volumetric 3D motion that changes over time.

Further customization options will be available for the K-pop hotel spaces, with mannequins in the artist lounge allowing fans to dress them in different costumes.

SKT plans to enhance the K-pop hotel service by integrating artificial intelligence and introducing various fan missions, aiming to develop the next generation of K-pop culture.

"Three-dimensional artist-related content and fan missions on our platform ifland will bolster communication between fans and artists, and among fans themselves," said Yang Maeng-seog, head of metaverse operations at SKT. "K-pop Hotel will become a new global hub for fans and artists to connect."

By Park Se-ra(serap1005@heraldcorp.com)