K-Pop Idol Character Content: Creative Utilization & Fan Community Formation

Korean Wave (Hallyu) phases
- 1990s: Dominated by K-Dramas and K-Movies.
- Early 2000s: $\text{2nd wave}$ driven by the emergence of first-generation K-Pop idols.
First documented use of the term “K-Pop”
- $\text{Oct.<br>9, 1999}$ in Billboard article “S. Korea To Allow Some Japanese Live Acts.”
Impact of social media since the 2010s
- Accelerated globalization and fandom formation.
- Example metrics
- BTS Instagram followers: $74$ million (2024).
- Blackpink YouTube subscribers: $93$ million (2024).
IFPI data
- Asia maintains $49.2\%$ share of global physical album sales, largely due to K-Pop.
Idol as influencer paradigm
- Credibility, professionalism, attractiveness ⇒ stronger audience relationship $\Rightarrow$ higher demand for ancillary products and content.

K-Pop’s influence now extends to fashion, beauty, tourism and characters.
Characterization strengthens
- Bond between artist and fans.
- Brand identity & worldview transmission.
Idol characters classified [7]
- Invented characters: fictional, created via artistic process (e.g., BT21).
- Real characters: likeness based on publicity rights of real person (e.g., BTS “Titan”).
Revenue & branding roles
- Characters generate merchandise profit and convey deeper musical/visual concepts.
- Cross-platform presence (webtoons, games, AR filters) broadens engagement.

HYBE (formerly BigHit)
- Valuation > \$1 billion by 2019 [4].
- Assets $5.523$ trillion KRW (Q3 2023).
- 2023 sales $2.1781$ trillion KRW; operating profit $295.8$ billion KRW [5].
Comparison with CJ E&M (film producer)
- 2023 sales $4.3683$ trillion KRW; operating loss $14.6$ billion KRW [6].
Demonstrates efficacy of multi-stream model (music + character + global expansion).

Creation Process
- Members directly sketched, set story, planned products for BT21.
- Design: simple lines/shapes ⇒ “cuteness” & indicator symbolistry (semiotics).
Market Results
- Harajuku pop-up (Mar 2019): $15{,}000$ visitors; $215\%$ YoY sales growth [8].
- LA Line Friends store (2019): $18{,}000$ visitors [8].
- BT21 YouTube (2024): $5.29$ million subs; estimated net worth $\$194\text{K}–\$1.16\text{M}$ .
Fictional yet linked to artists ⇒ enjoyable even without BTS knowledge ⟹ expands beyond ARMY to Line Friends consumers.

Launch Strategy (2022)
- No traditional image teasers; debut animation w/ five rabbits on Instagram.
Consistent use across releases
- Albums: “New Jeans,” “OMG,” “Ditto,” “Zero,” “NJWMX.”
- Only minor tweaks (color, texture).
Sales impact
- “OMG” initial sales $7.01$ million copies ⇒ $13$ billion KRW revenue [9].
Branding goals
- Rabbits = synonymous with NewJeans; fandom name “Bunnies.”
- Characters created primarily for identity, not just goods.

Social Identity Theory (Tajfel & Turner)
- People enhance self-esteem via group affiliation.
Character goods as offline recognition tools
- Key-ring doll signals membership → solidarity & interaction among fans.
Cultural community extends beyond geography, influencing real-world interactions [10].

NCT CCOMAZ Grocery Store pop-up (Apr 2023)
- Themed retail → immersive fan experience.
NCT × Sanrio
- Limited photo frames with Photo Signature’s unmanned $4$ -cut booths.
- Spao pajamas collection: $22$ items + artist photo card; design repeats both character sets.
Benefits
- Diversifies revenue, reaches broader audiences, strengthens identity.

AR & Filters
- BT21 snow AR filter emoticon.
Mobile & Console Games
- “Puzzle Star BT21” hit $1$ million downloads in 2 days [11].
Webtoons
- ENHYPEN “DARK MOON” universe (3 series): serialized in $\approx9$ countries; $100$ million cumulative page views.
Location-based events
- “Dark Moon Castle” at Lotte World (Sep 1 – Nov 19 2023)
- Visitor increase >17\% [13].

Characters convey musical ethos, intangible charm, artist personality via simplified symbols.
Economic potential
- Cross-industry (games, VR, fashion) → new markets, sustained growth.
- Positive correlation between character merch sales and album sales.
Fan engagement
- VR experiences, SNS challenges, social-media filters deepen connection.
- Strengthened solidarity fosters brand loyalty $→$ higher profitability.
Provides academic model for analyzing character-based marketing’s economic & cultural effects.

Character marketing = vital tool for
- Revenue diversification.
- Cultural expression & worldview storytelling.
- Global brand equity & fandom solidarity.
Essential to leverage digital platforms for evolving markets (VR, AR, social media).
Expected to drive creativity, engagement, and economic activity across entertainment sectors.

Asia’s physical album share: $49.2\%$ .
BTS Instagram: $74 \text{M}$ followers (2024).
Blackpink YouTube: $93 \text{M}$ subscribers (2024).
HYBE 2023 sales: $2.1781 \text{T KRW}$ , operating profit $295.8 \text{B KRW}$ .
CJ E&M 2023 revenue vs. loss: $4.3683 \text{T KRW}$ vs. $-14.6 \text{B KRW}$ .
“OMG” album sales: $7.01 \text{M}$ copies; revenue $13 \text{B KRW}$ .
BT21 Harajuku visitors: $15{,}000$ ; sales growth $215\%$ .
Puzzle Star BT21 downloads: $1 \text{M}$ in $2$ days.
Dark Moon Castle visitor rise: $17\%$ .