About
Han YuA began her existence as the lead female character in Smilegate's virtual reality game Focus on You, released in 2019. In 2021, Smilegate relaunched her as a standalone 3D virtual influencer, working with content studio Giantstep, the same company that created the AI avatars for K-pop girl group aespa. This gave YuA a hyperrealistic look suited for magazine shoots, fashion campaigns and broadcast appearances. In February 2022, she signed an exclusive contract with YG KPlus, the modeling and talent arm of YG Entertainment, one of South Korea's biggest K-pop labels. This made her the first virtual character ever signed to the YG group and one of the few AI personas formally managed by a top-tier entertainment agency. She was also appointed as a UN-recognised NGO ambassador for the Friends of Hope organisation, which holds special consultative status with the UN Economic and Social Council. Her debut single I Like That, produced by songwriter Park Woo-seong (known for writing for MAMAMOO and Chungha) and choreographed by Dohee Kim of 1MILLION Dance Studio, reached over seven million YouTube views. YuA is one of the clearest examples of a virtual character crossing from gaming into mainstream K-pop and fashion.