KOREA

TV animation and comic book characters are now playing active roles in our daily lives. Characters that have emerged on the music industry stage and social media are rapidly spreading and capturing the public’s affection.
TV 애니메이션이나 만화 속에서만 보던 캐릭터들이 이제는 우리의 일상 곳곳에서 활약하고 있다. 음악 산업이나 SNS를 무대로 등장한 캐릭터들은, 대중의 사랑을 받으며 빠르게 확산되고 있는 중이다.

Writer. Sung Ji Yeon

RIIZE is a K-pop group that debuted under SM Entertainment in 2023. Their characters, WE LITTLE RIIZE—personally designed by each member—first appeared in February 2024.

WE LITTLE RIIZE offers fans a diverse entertainment experience. Fans cherish these characters because the members designed them personally, and each character so perfectly reflects the members’ appearance and personality that fans see WE LITTLE RIIZE as extensions of RIIZE. As a result, merchandise and content featuring these characters have become “must-collect” and “must-consume” items. Furthermore, fans playfully communicate with the artists by using WE LITTLE RIIZE as a focal point, making it an effective communication channel that has earned passionate support.

The appeal of WE LITTLE RIIZE doesn’t stop there. These characters have captured the hearts of the general public beyond just the group’s fans. In particular, “DDOLBYEONG”—modeled after RIIZE member SOHEE—sparked countless memes across various communities immediately after its release. The character’s unique expressions and high similarity to SOHEE became a hot topic, causing demand to skyrocket. Through its cute, friendly designs, WE LITTLE RIIZE has naturally introduced RIIZE to non-fans.

The popularity of WE LITTLE RIIZE, beloved by both fans and the public, continues to grow. Character merchandise sells out instantly upon release, and the approximately 5,400-square-foot pop-up store in Seoul held from Apr. 4 to Apr. 20 saw a constant stream of visitors. The pop-up store featured DIY character-patch T-shirt making, custom member-character photocard and name-sticker stations and four-shot photo booths—each drawing enthusiastic responses.

As WE LITTLE RIIZE demonstrates, characters in the K-pop industry have established themselves as effective mediators not only for K-pop fans but also for the general public. They also serve as powerful tools to maximize K-pop’s appeal. K-pop and characters have now become inseparable.

Characters that debut on social media are becoming increasingly popular, with some publishing comic books, being adapted into animations, or opening pop-up stores that attract long lines of eager fans.

There are several reasons for their remarkable success: First, they enable immediate communication between creators and fans. Through social media, creators can instantly see fans’ desired topics and suggestions for improvements. When this feedback is incorporated into the work, fan loyalty and trust increase, helping to build a robust fan base. Second, they offer diverse themes. Creators active on social media express their unique stories and interests through their characters. Without particular restrictions, they can publish freely, resulting in a wide variety of distinctive characters. Finally, they spread rapidly thanks to social media’s characteristics. A single image or short video can capture attention on these platforms. Cute characters presenting timely content can easily gain publicity.

If you’re curious about these Korean characters that soared to stardom on social media, read our next feature. Scan the QR code to discover what makes them so captivating.