Korea’s government has earmarked $18 million in funding for Korean music this year, up from $14 million over 2025, and a pair of AI-powered glasses could be the technology that turns that investment into a true global cultural force.
These glasses, known commercially as Owl, were invented by Expert Inc., a Korean startup, and are connected via a mobile phone application to show translated subtitles in real time.
How do AI glasses work?
Viewers can select the language among Korean, English, Japanese and Chinese and set the size and location of text on the lens.
However, the factor that sets Owl apart lies in its artificial intelligence. Instead of a person manually activating lines of script, the system reacts to spoken prompts and instantly synchronizes the translated version. When everything goes smoothly, what the audience sees means they don’t take their eyes off the stage while listening to the entire story.
In Taipei, 22-year-old retail worker Yuroy Wang wore glasses during a tour performance of The Second Chance Convenience Store, an adaptation of the bestseller in Korea.
Even with some hiccups, he said he would try the glasses again. The audience at the Seoul demonstration received a comparable response, the idea was innovative yet experienced synchronization problems and spontaneous speech that was faster than the machine.
Expert Inc. is already responding. A lighter model designed to sit more comfortably over prescription glasses is being launched this spring, with improved translation accuracy as the company’s next priority.
Timing is not accidental. The Korean musical Maybe a Happy Ending made its way to Broadway in 2024 and won six Tony Awards, sending a clear message that Korean theater can also perform on the world’s biggest stages. Investors have taken notice and are getting financial support from the government.
However, not all producers are waiting for the call from Broadway in English. Hwang Ki-hyun of Project Jiwoo has declined two invitations to present The Second Chance Convenience Store in translation, choosing instead to do so in her belief that audiences outside of Korea want Korean productions in their original language, with technology helping to overcome any barriers.
University of Toronto professor Sarah Bae-Cheng highlighted the example of BTS fans who go out of their way to listen to Korean-language music as proof that the demand is there.
