What was Meeting You?
Meeting You (Korean title 너를 만났다, sometimes translated as “I Met You”) is a human documentary made by the Korean broadcaster MBC. It was broadcast on 6 February 2020.
It followed Jang Ji-sung, a mother whose daughter Kang Na-yeon, known as Nayeon, died in 2016 at the age of seven from a rare illness. Reporting at the time described how suddenly the illness took her, and how painful it was for her mother not to have had the chance to say goodbye. The programme gave her a short meeting with a virtual version of Nayeon.
A clip of the meeting spread far beyond Korea. By April 2020, the Korea Times reported, it had been viewed more than 19 million times online.
How the virtual reunion was made
MBC worked with Vive Studios, a Korean company (not connected to the headset maker HTC), and the project took many months. Reports at the time described a combination of techniques:
- A 3D model built with photogrammetry and based on photos and videos the family shared.
- Motion capture of performers, so the virtual child could move naturally.
- A recreated voice, developed with child voice actors, using the family’s videos as a reference.
- A largely planned scenario, with simple voice recognition so the child could respond to some of what her mother said.
- VR equipment: a headset and trackers, with Jang filmed in front of a green screen.
The meeting took place in a virtual version of a park the family used to visit, and included a small birthday celebration. We will not describe it in more detail here; the most important parts belong to the family.
Meeting You was a one-off television production made by a large team. It was not an AI that could hold an open conversation, and it was not a product that families could buy.
How the family and viewers responded
Producer Kim Jong-woo told the Korea Times that Jang was happy to see even a faint reflection of her daughter. In the later documentary Eternal You, Jang says the experience helped her move past nightmares about her child. Her own account is what matters most, and it should be respected.
Public reaction was divided. Many viewers were moved to tears. Others described the programme as emotionally manipulative or worried about what such an intense experience might do to a grieving parent. Kim said he hoped it would open up a dialogue about how society should use new technology. Korean commentators also raised concerns that very realistic recreations could prolong mourning, and the studio said future projects could involve mental health professionals.
Later seasons and Eternal You
MBC returned to the format. A second season, broadcast from January 2021 as part of the channel’s 60th anniversary, followed a husband who had lost his wife to illness and met her again in VR. A third season, broadcast in 2022, followed a daughter who met a recreation of her late mother in a virtual version of the mother’s flower garden.
In 2024, the first season’s story reached new audiences through Eternal You, a documentary about griefbots in which Jang Ji-sung, producer Kim Jong-woo and Vive Studios’ Lee Hyun-suk appear.
The questions it raises
- Consent. A child cannot say how she would want to be remembered. Decisions fall to the family, which is a heavy responsibility.
- Healing or holding on? For some, a farewell may bring relief. For others, a realistic recreation might make it harder to accept the loss. Research on this is still very limited.
- Grief on camera. Broadcasting a private moment to millions raises its own questions about care and aftercare.
- Realism. The more lifelike the recreation, the stronger the emotional effect, in both directions.
Our guide Is grief tech healthy? covers what grief research suggests and the warning signs to watch for.
What exists in 2026
| Approach | What it involves today |
|---|---|
| TV-style VR recreation | Still rare and labour-intensive; needs a professional team and the family’s photos, videos and memories |
| Recorded-answer avatars | Korean company DeepBrain AI launched Re;memory in 2022: a person is filmed and interviewed while alive, and family can later meet the avatar in short sessions |
| Video avatars of the dead | MIT Technology Review reported in 2024 that at least half a dozen companies in China offered them |
| Text simulations from messages | Apps can imitate how someone wrote, using exported chats; they are text-based and clearly limited |
None of these brings back a person. Each offers, at most, a reflection built from what was recorded. Fiction has explored the same territory, for example in Marjorie Prime.
Where Memory Clone fits, gently
Memory Clone is very different from Meeting You. It is a Windows app, currently in alpha, that builds a private, text-only AI simulation from chats you export yourself and notes you write. It does not use photos, video or voice, has no VR or 3D avatar, and does not clone voices. Every clone is presented as an AI simulation, not the person, and imported originals stay on your PC.
If you are grieving, there is no need to try any of this. If and when you feel ready, you can read our guide to talking to a loved one who died with AI first.
If you are in crisis or thinking about harming yourself, contact your local emergency number now. You can also reach: UK & Ireland Samaritans, 116 123; United States 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, call or text 988; elsewhere find a free, confidential helpline at findahelpline.com.
Preguntas frecuentes
When was Meeting You broadcast?
The first programme was broadcast by MBC in South Korea on 6 February 2020. Later seasons followed in 2021 and 2022.
Was the daughter in Meeting You an AI?
Not in the modern chatbot sense. She was a 3D character with a recreated voice and a largely planned scenario, with simple voice recognition for some responses.
How did the mother feel afterwards?
The producer said she was glad to see even a faint reflection of her daughter, and in Eternal You she says it helped her move past nightmares. Each person’s experience of grief is different.
Can I have a VR reunion with someone who died?
Productions like Meeting You are rare and made by professional teams. Some companies offer recorded avatars, but think carefully, involve people close to you and take your time.
Fuentes
Revisado el . Los productos de terceros y sus páginas de ayuda cambian a menudo; sigue los enlaces para ver los detalles actuales.
- ‘Meeting You’ creator on his controversial show: ‘I hope it opens up dialogue’ (Lee Gyu-lee, 2020) (The Korea Times)
- [INTERVIEW] The controversial reality of bringing back a loved one (2020) (Korea JoongAng Daily)
- Mother Meets Recreation of Her Deceased Child in VR (Scott Hayden, 2020) (Road to VR)
- 다시 한번, 너를 만났다! AI·VR기술, 죽은자와 산자를 연결하다 (season 2, 2021) (Financial News (Korea))
- 휴먼 다큐 ‘너를 만났다’, 엄마와 딸 VR로 재회 (season 3, 2022) (MBC)
- 산자와 죽은자의 재회… ‘너를 만났다’가 주는 의미는 (2021) (Money Today)
- ETERNAL YOU: Vom Ende der Endlichkeit, press notes (German) (Farbfilm Verleih / filmernst)
- DeepBrain AI to bring back deceased loved ones, virtually (Da Eun Choi, 2022) (KED Global)
- Deepfakes of your dead loved ones are a booming Chinese business (Zeyi Yang, 2024) (MIT Technology Review)
This article is general information, not medical, legal or financial advice. Memory Clone creates an AI simulation from the material you provide; it is not the person.