K-pop fans of all ages are flocking to the Los Angeles Convention Center this weekend for KCON, the annual three-day festival celebrating Korean music and culture.
The festival consists of all-day activities, including a vendor market of various Korean beauty and food brands, multiple stages showcasing rookie acts and meet and greet sessions. Fans then migrate over to the Crypto.com arena each evening for the M Countdown, the main concert event in which multiple K-pop artists and groups perform.
KCON, which is run by Korean media giant CJ ENM, is held in several countries, with the Los Angeles edition serving as the flagship event. The convention, presented by CJ’s Korean beauty products brand Olive Young, continues through Sunday.
On Friday, fans sported white, pink and green Olive Young totes from a large pop-up space promoting the beauty retailer’s upcoming U.S. storefront and some of the top brands it carries. They stopped by different booths throughout the convention hall to pick up free samples of products ranging from skincare to the popular spicy Buldak sauce, as well as coupons for a free cake slice from the bakery chain Tous Les Jours and tastings from the food brand Bibigo. Often, the samples had to be acquired through an initial step, like downloading a brand’s app or spinning a raffle wheel or playing games.
The performers found themselves up against game rules as well. At the X Stage, artists like So Soo Bin sang and played challenges to help win prizes for audience members. At the Dance Stage sponsored by Jollibee, the group Newbeat competed against a Jollibee mascot to correctly match their dance moves to fast music cues.
For attendees like Prescilla Cobieye, the numerous things to do made for a distinct experience. “It’s pretty different from your typical kind of concert,” Cobieye, 18, said. “You could see different booths with a bunch of different sponsorships and stuff like that, and you could even see the idols walk in…you can’t get that at a regular Kpop concert.”
Artists on KCON’s M Stage inside the L.A. Convention Center
Konuk_RYU
Cobieye is a fan of NCT127 and Zerobaseone, specifically, and attended a meet and greet for the latter band. The meet and greets allow fans to see their favorite artists more up close on a smaller stage within the convention center. “It was something, it was really packed,” Cobieye said.
Many families also navigated KCON together like Karsen Lechner, who attended the convention with her daughter in celebration of her sweet 16. “She’s pretty much been at the barricade in Artist Stage for most of the day today,” Lechner said. The artists Cravity, Lee Young Ji and izna performed on that stage Friday.
KCON includes a mix of established and newer acts throughout the weekend.
One buzzy subject that was much-discussed among KCON attendees: “KPop Demon Hunters,” the animated movie that bowed on Netflix in June featuring numerous K-pop stars in the voice cast. The success of the film, produced by Sony Music Animation, on Netflix’s global platform is seen as a sign of K-pop’s enduring strength and a validation of the fandom that engrosses millions of fans who reside far outside the boundaries of South Korea.
Park Chan Uk, who is VP of live entertainment for CJ ENM, said KCON strives to curate different genres and artist types. Fans will see new idol groups but also solo artists for example. “K Con’s main purpose, primary purpose, is to introduce and provide a platform for a global success for K-artists, especially the rookie artists. And I think that aim and that target will continue no matter what,” he told Variety through a translator.
Of course, the M Countdown is a crucial draw for fans. Melanie Phoutthavong, a 19-year-old fan, traveled from Seattle to attend KCON with her friend. Attending that concert alone makes the whole experience worth it for Phoutthavong: “I know we saw a lot of groups in here, but that concert, it’s like the big event. So I’d be happy just to be in there.”
Friday night’s concert included the acts like NCT127, Zerobaseone, P1Harmony, Baby DONT Cry, Lee Young Ji, NOWZ, IS:SUE and IVE. There was also recognition of Korean film and TV, through the special appearances of actors Lee Byung-hun (“Squid Game,” “KPop Demon Hunters” and Park Chan Wook’s upcoming “No Other Choice”) and Yim Siwan (“Squid Game”).
“K-pop, K-movies, K-dramas, K-beauty, K-food. We’re always falling deeper in love with K-culture and at the center of it, all this, is KCON,” Lee said in his remarks, which opened the concert. “For 13 years, since 2012, KCON has connected artists and fans across the globe.”
Posters of K-pop idols on a kiosk outside KCON Los Angeles
Variety
Yim, who began as a K-pop singer before transitioning to acting, acknowledged his K-pop roots when he appeared later on during the show. “Maybe that’s why the stage still gives me butterflies,” he said. He shouted out the night’s many performances, including the group izna’s rendition of the song “Golden” from the Netflix film “KPop Demon Hunters” which occurred soon after Yim’s speech.
NCT127, whose performances were incorporated throughout the concert, closed it with the song “Fact Check.” They were joined by fans who had competed earlier to be able to dance alongside the group.
For K-pop fans, the genre remains a way to be open about one’s favorite artists. “I would say it’s very comforting being in a community where you can just express your love for music and just your interests in general. And there’s no shame here,” Phoutthavong said.
