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| Photo: Kakao Entertainment |
[Sports Today reporter Kim Tae-hyung] On Berriz, fans around the world send two hearts every second.
Kakao Entertainment’s global K-culture fan platform Berriz marked its first anniversary by releasing a year-in-review of the community it has built with fans worldwide. According to Kakao Entertainment, since launching its official service in March 2025, Berriz has attracted members from 202 countries. International users now account for roughly 80% of the platform’s user base, underscoring its steady growth as a global fan hub.
Berriz describes itself like a cluster of berries—different in size and shape but sweeter together—positioning the service as a playful space where fandoms across genres connect to celebrate K-culture. The platform has expanded IP engagement through differentiated services such as dedicated communities and fan stores for K-pop artists including IU, IVE, and (G)I-DLE, as well as content IPs like Pinggyego and Our Ballad. Over the past year, live events on Berriz generated a cumulative 60,000,000 cheers—an average of two cheers per second from fans around the globe. Fans also logged about 13,000,000 likes and roughly 2,000,000 posts, keeping interaction lively.
A Kakao Entertainment spokesperson said Berriz has, in its first year, grown into a global platform where fans can connect more closely with artists and content IPs. The company added it will continue to strengthen its competitive edge by expanding K-culture IPs and technology-driven services so fans can enjoy richer communication experiences.
◆ IVE and (G)I-DLE show the highest share of overseas fans…#TopFan IU #IconOfDiligence MONSTA X #FandomPlayground IVE
Among members from 202 countries, the largest groups are based in Korea, followed by Indonesia, the United States, Taiwan and China—evidence of active participation across Asia and North America. The communities with the highest proportion of global fans were IVE and (G)I-DLE, reflecting their strong international foothold on Berriz. Close behind was Kiki, who debuted last year; Kiki launched an official community on Berriz in March and began engaging with fans immediately, growing alongside the platform.
Berriz also shared insights from a year of user activity that analyzed fandom tendencies by artist. The top five posts with the most cumulative comments were all IU’s, highlighting the deep, warm exchange between IU—often celebrated for her devotion to fans—and her community. MONSTA X was the most-visited artist on the platform; members regularly drop into Berriz for live streams and posts, reinforcing their reputation as an “icon of diligence.”
Meanwhile, IVE’s fan community stood out for prolific fan-generated content and challenge-style campaigns, effectively turning their space into a “fandom playground.”
◆ AI personas as new ‘fan companions’…fandom culture shifting toward experience over tech
Berriz’s AI personas demonstrated the potential to become new “fan companions.” Trained on a work’s story, worldbuilding and character personalities, these AI personas interact as the characters themselves and engage with fans beyond the original content, expanding how audiences enjoy the IP. Conversations ranged from character and plot topics to everyday life, suggesting AI-mediated fandom interactions are taking shape.
AI comment reports added another layer to fandom activity. Berriz created roughly 5,000 pieces of secondary content that analyzed comments on artist posts, summarizing key keywords, reactions and notable trends. Rather than showcasing technology for its own sake, Berriz said it will continue offering novel, user-centered services that encourage fans to share topics and enjoy fandom together.
To celebrate its first anniversary, Berriz is hosting events where fans and artists can share meaningful moments. Through April 3, fans can enter the 1st “Show Off Your Bias” Contest by posting special moments with their artists—using designated hashtags—in Berriz’s K-Pop Square community for a chance to see their favorite artist on major screens around Seoul.
The artists whose fans place first through third will be featured in ad videos on large screens at key Seoul locations like COEX and Hongdae in early May. Additionally, through the 29th, fans who leave birthday messages with the ‘#Berriz_1st_Birthday’ hashtag on Berriz’s official social media X will be entered into a drawing for limited-edition merchandise.
[Sports Today reporter Kim Tae-hyung ent@stoo.com]
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