SM Leisure has revealed that its slate of artists will be a part of the HYPE-owned fan group platform Weverse.
SM Leisure confirmed in the present day (April 17) in a press launch that its artists – which embrace fashionable Ok-pop acts equivalent to Ladies’ Technology, EXO, Purple Velvet, NCT and aespa – will likely be becoming a member of the Weverse platform someday this 12 months.
“SM Leisure will obtain ‘SM 3.0’ via the co-existence of personal messenger Bubble and fandom platform Weverse,” SM Leisure mentioned, per Korea JoongAng Day by day. “SM will open SM artists’ Weverse official communities by the top of this 12 months.”
SM Leisure artists at present makes use of its self-owned fan group platform Kwangya Membership. Based on a press release from HYBE, 12 of the 13 SM Leisure acts utilizing Kwangya Membership will shift to Weverse by September 2023.
“12 SM artists […] will transfer from Kwangya Membership to Weverse, talk with their followers and supply media content material, present Weverse Stay on the Weverse platform and talk with the worldwide fandoms,” HYBE mentioned in its assertion. It’s at present unclear which artist is not going to be migrating to Weverse.
The transfer comes after HYBE halted its bid to accumulate SM Leisure after a dialogue with competitor Kakao. “The 2 firms agreed to cooperate on issues associated to their platforms,” HYBE mentioned final month.
Since that assertion, HYBE has additionally introduced that it might unload its 15.8 per cent stake in SM Leisure by accepting a young provide by Kakao.
In the meantime, Kakao was lately reportedly raided by South Korean authorities over allegations that it was concerned in inventory manipulation over its buy of SM Leisure shares.