Aespa, NCT’s SM Entertainment builds metaverse studio Kwangya

SM Entertainment (SM) announced it is establishing Studio Kwangya, a company specializing in content production in the metaverse, the leading South Korean idol agency announced on Tuesday. 

Fast facts

• SM has represented some generational acts in K-pop since 1995 such as H.O.T., SNSD, EXO, Red Velvet, NCT and most recently Aespa, who call themselves a metaverse girl group.
• Kwangya (광야: wilderness) has been adopted by the agency as part of its SM Culture Universe (SMCU) to describe a metaverse of infinite possibilities.
• Studio Kwangya’s line of business will include VFX production, virtual humans, virtual reality (VR) and music video production.

• The South Korean entertainment industry is becoming some of the early pioneers of the metaverse, with virtual K-pop bands — also known as idols — leading the way.  

• SM’s new metaverse arm, Studio Kwangya, recently formed Studio A, a joint venture with U.S.-based VR concert specialist AmazeVR.