Vive Studios Brings Historical Figures Like Kim Gu to Life as Virtual Humans… Focusing on ‘Stories’ to Evoke Empathy /
Beyond advanced virtual human technology, the company emphasizes storytelling—enhancing the value of virtual humans as meaningful content.
< Digital Human of Kim Gu by Vive Studios / Provided by Vive Studios >
Since South Korea’s first virtual influencer “Rozy” appeared in advertising, countless other virtual humans have followed. Virtual humans—fictional characters that do not exist in reality—were praised for their freshness, especially when used as models in commercials.
Recently, however, the use of virtual humans in advertising has sharply declined and is gradually falling out of favor with the market. Critics point to a lack of compelling narratives that can continually capture public interest. Without relatable stories or emotional resonance, virtual humans fail to build fan bases and are losing their appeal.
AI-based virtual production company Vive Studios is overcoming the inherent limitations of virtual humans by bringing historical figures back to life through digital technology. A representative case was in November last year, when the company recreated a digital human of Kim Gu, a prominent Korean independence activist, as part of a project led by the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs titled “AI-based Digital Human Content Platform of National Patriots.” The digital human of Kim Gu was unveiled during a memorial ceremony for Korea’s Patriotic Martyrs Day and moved many attendees.
Vive Studios is also working on recreating other historical figures like Yun Bong-gil and Ahn Jung-geun as digital humans. By reviving figures with powerful, empathetic stories through virtual technology, the company is adding depth to virtual humans while also pursuing a socially meaningful mission that goes beyond technology.
Their focus on narrative-driven virtual humans began with the MBC documentary “Meeting You,” which brought back a child who had passed away through VR technology, touching countless viewers. This experience solidified Vive Studios’ belief in the emotional power of storytelling in virtual human creation. By portraying historical figures with rich narratives, the company enhances immersion and positions virtual humans as tools for understanding history.
Technologies like VFX, VR, and XR are used to visually recreate these figures with as much realism as possible. Vive Studios has collaborated extensively with the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, museum curators, and historians to ensure historical accuracy and faithfully restore even low-resolution images and archival materials. They also worked hard to minimize discrepancies in mood and impression that can arise when converting 2D images into 3D models.
Additionally, to avoid biased portrayals, the company has gone through thorough historical verification. This includes basic data research as well as expert consultation and review with historical advisors and curators to eliminate specific ideological interpretations.
Looking ahead, Vive Studios plans to further strengthen its production of virtual humans based on historical figures, not merely to showcase technological prowess but to create robust content grounded in meaningful narratives. The company aims to build a rich portfolio and refine its techniques to portray lifelike, emotionally resonant characters. Their goal is to overcome the “uncanny valley” and create virtual human content that fosters real emotional connection—delivering immersive VR and XR experiences that transcend space and time.
Park Jae-hoon, Head of the Video Content Division at Vive Studios, stated, “When bringing historical figures to life as virtual humans, we put great effort into applying technology and storytelling to go beyond what textbooks offer and show them as real people. To ensure that everyone can resonate with technologies that straddle the line between reality and virtuality, strong storytelling must lie at the foundation.”
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Vive Studios Brings Historical Figures Like Kim Gu to Life as Virtual Humans… Focusing on ‘Stories’ to Evoke Empathy /
Beyond advanced virtual human technology, the company emphasizes storytelling—enhancing the value of virtual humans as meaningful content.
< Digital Human of Kim Gu by Vive Studios / Provided by Vive Studios >
Since South Korea’s first virtual influencer “Rozy” appeared in advertising, countless other virtual humans have followed. Virtual humans—fictional characters that do not exist in reality—were praised for their freshness, especially when used as models in commercials.
Recently, however, the use of virtual humans in advertising has sharply declined and is gradually falling out of favor with the market. Critics point to a lack of compelling narratives that can continually capture public interest. Without relatable stories or emotional resonance, virtual humans fail to build fan bases and are losing their appeal.
AI-based virtual production company Vive Studios is overcoming the inherent limitations of virtual humans by bringing historical figures back to life through digital technology. A representative case was in November last year, when the company recreated a digital human of Kim Gu, a prominent Korean independence activist, as part of a project led by the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs titled “AI-based Digital Human Content Platform of National Patriots.” The digital human of Kim Gu was unveiled during a memorial ceremony for Korea’s Patriotic Martyrs Day and moved many attendees.
Vive Studios is also working on recreating other historical figures like Yun Bong-gil and Ahn Jung-geun as digital humans. By reviving figures with powerful, empathetic stories through virtual technology, the company is adding depth to virtual humans while also pursuing a socially meaningful mission that goes beyond technology.
Their focus on narrative-driven virtual humans began with the MBC documentary “Meeting You,” which brought back a child who had passed away through VR technology, touching countless viewers. This experience solidified Vive Studios’ belief in the emotional power of storytelling in virtual human creation. By portraying historical figures with rich narratives, the company enhances immersion and positions virtual humans as tools for understanding history.
Technologies like VFX, VR, and XR are used to visually recreate these figures with as much realism as possible. Vive Studios has collaborated extensively with the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, museum curators, and historians to ensure historical accuracy and faithfully restore even low-resolution images and archival materials. They also worked hard to minimize discrepancies in mood and impression that can arise when converting 2D images into 3D models.
Additionally, to avoid biased portrayals, the company has gone through thorough historical verification. This includes basic data research as well as expert consultation and review with historical advisors and curators to eliminate specific ideological interpretations.
Looking ahead, Vive Studios plans to further strengthen its production of virtual humans based on historical figures, not merely to showcase technological prowess but to create robust content grounded in meaningful narratives. The company aims to build a rich portfolio and refine its techniques to portray lifelike, emotionally resonant characters. Their goal is to overcome the “uncanny valley” and create virtual human content that fosters real emotional connection—delivering immersive VR and XR experiences that transcend space and time.
Park Jae-hoon, Head of the Video Content Division at Vive Studios, stated, “When bringing historical figures to life as virtual humans, we put great effort into applying technology and storytelling to go beyond what textbooks offer and show them as real people. To ensure that everyone can resonate with technologies that straddle the line between reality and virtuality, strong storytelling must lie at the foundation.”
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