KCON is an annual convention held in locations across the world, created by Koreaboo and organized by
CJ E&M
CJ E&M (Hangul: 씨제이이앤엠, an initialism for CJ Entertainment & Media) is a South Korean entertainment and mass media company created by CJ Group in 2011. As of July 2018, CJ E&M is a division of CJ ENM.
History
CJ E&M was established a ...
. It was first held in
Southern California
Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and cultural region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. It includes the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the second most populous urban a ...
in 2012 and has since expanded to ten countries as of 2022.
In 2015, KCON expanded to Japan and then quickly announced the first KCON USA on the
East Coast.
In 2016, KCON expanded into
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates and
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...
, France. In January 2017, KCON announced that they would be hosting their first KCON Mexico at the
Mexico City Arena
Mexico City Arena ( es, Arena Ciudad de México) is an indoor arena in Azcapotzalco, Mexico City, Mexico. It hosts concerts, sports, and other events. It officially opened on February 25, 2012. The total cost of the arena was $300 million. The a ...
on March 17 and 18, 2017.
An online replacement of KCON due to the ongoing
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
, titled KCON:TACT, started on June 20 until June 26, 2020 via
YouTube
YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...
,
AISPlay, and
Shopee
Shopee Pte. Ltd. (Shopee) is a Singaporean multinational technology company that specialises in e-commerce. The company was launched in Singapore in 2015, before it expanded abroad.
, Shopee is considered the largest e-commerce platform in S ...
. The second season started on October 16, 2020 and ended on October 25, 2020. The third season started March 20, 2021.
Background
KCON was first created by Koreaboo in 2012, after a partnership with CJ E&M's US-based subsidiary, Mnet America.
It was produced by Powerhouse Live, who have continued to work on KCON from 2013 to the present.
KCON's initial aim was to establish an annual flagship event that would improve the experiences of American fans by providing them with an affordable way to connect with each other as well as with artists and professionals from the K-pop music industry. During KCON '12, Mnet Media's Ted Kim was interviewed by journalist
Michael Holmes from
CNN
CNN (Cable News Network) is a multinational cable news channel headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable news channel, and presently owned by ...
to discuss the rise of K-Pop in the United States.
On June 21, 2016,
Euny Hong
Euny Hong is a Korean-American journalist and author, based in France.
Biography
Hong is the author of three books. The novel ''Kept: A Comedy of Sex and Manners'' was published by Simon and Schuster in 2006. ''The Birth of Korean Cool: How One N ...
reported in the ''
Wall Street Journal
''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...
'' that the North American KCONs, although very popular, were only a break-even financially. CJ E&M's American CEO Angela Killoren said they are more interested in the long-term goal of raising Korea's brand value than short-term gain. Also, in a June press conference, Shin Hyung-kwan, president of CJ E&M's Mnet contents business, said, "KCON, which has been held in Abu Dhabi in March, Japan in April, and Paris early this month, is not just about making money. Numbers are important but what matters more is the potential created by the event for the next five, 10 and 20 years." Shin added that the company goals were increasing the growth of products and services to the global market by expanding partnerships with Korean small and medium enterprises.
History
2012
KCON '12 was held on October 13 at the
Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre Verizon Wireless Amphitheater(re), Verizon Wireless Music Center(re), Verizon Wireless Theatre(er), and other variants may refer to:
*The following venues were formerly known by the Verizon-sponsored names:
**Verizon Wireless Music Center (Alabama) ...
in
Irvine, California
Irvine () is a master-planned city in South Orange County, California, United States, in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Irvine Company started developing the area in the 1960s and the city was formally incorporated on December 28, 197 ...
. Music artists invited to perform include
4Minute
4Minute (, often stylized as 4MINUTE) was a South Korean girl group formed in 2009 by Cube Entertainment. The members of the group were Nam Ji-hyun, Heo Ga-yoon, Jeon Ji-yoon, Kim Hyuna and Kwon So-hyun. The group was known for its edgy d ...
,
B.A.P
B.A.P (; an acronym for Best Absolute Perfect) was a South Korean boy band formed in 2012 under TS Entertainment.
B.A.P made their musical debut with the single "Warrior" on January 26, 2012, followed by the release of their debut EP ''Warrio ...
,
Exo-M
Exo ( ko, 엑소; stylized in all caps) is a South Korean-Chinese boy band based in Seoul formed by SM Entertainment in 2011 and debuted in 2012. The group consists of nine members: Xiumin, Suho, Lay, Baekhyun, Chen, Chanyeol, D.O., Kai and ...
,
Nu'est
NU'EST (; short for New Establish Style Tempo) was a South Korean boy band formed and managed by Pledis Entertainment. The group consisted of five members: JR, Aron, Baekho, Minhyun and Ren. They debuted on March 15, 2012, with the single ...
,
VIXX
VIXX ( ko, 빅스 pronounced "vicks"; acronym for "voice, visual, value in excelsis") is a South Korean boy band formed by Jellyfish Entertainment through the 2012 reality show ''MyDOL''. Originally a sextet, the group is presently composed of f ...
, and
G.NA
Gina Jane Choi (born September 13, 1987), better known by her stage name G.NA, is a Korean Canadian singer, songwriter and actress based in South Korea. She released her debut EP, ''Draw G's First Breath'', on July 14, 2010.
As a solo artis ...
. Jeff Yang of ''
The Wall Street Journal
''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...
'' reported that KCON '12 attracted over 20,000 people.
2013
KCON '13 was held from August 24 to 25 at the
Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena
The Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena was a multi-purpose arena at Exposition Park, in the University Park neighborhood of Los Angeles. It was located next to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and just south of the campus of the University of ...
. The lineup included K-pop artists
Exo
Exo ( ko, 엑소; stylized in all caps) is a South Korean-Chinese boy band based in Seoul formed by SM Entertainment in 2011 and debuted in 2012. The group consists of nine members: Xiumin, Suho, Lay, Baekhyun, Chen, Chanyeol, D.O., Kai ...
(K & M),
2AM,
Teen Top
Teen Top () is a South Korean boy band formed by TOP Media in 2010. The group is composed of five members: C.A.P, Chunji, Niel, Ricky and Changjo. Originally a six-piece group with L.Joe, the former member had filed for contract termination in ...
,
f(x),
G-Dragon
Kwon Ji-yong (; born August 18, 1988), also known by his stage name G-Dragon (지드래곤), is a South Korean rapper, singer-songwriter, record producer, entrepreneur and fashion designer, known as the " King of K-pop". G-Dragon is the recipi ...
,
Crayon Pop
Crayon Pop (Hangul: 크레용팝) is a South Korean girl group formed under Chrome Entertainment in 2012. The group consisted of four members: Geummi, Ellin, Choa, and Way. Their fifth member, Soyul, left the group in 2017.
Crayon Pop officiall ...
,
Dynamic Duo, Yu Seung Woo and
DJ Koo. It also included rapper
Missy Elliott, who is featured on one of G-Dragon's singles.
Super Junior-M
Super Junior-M (stylized as SJ-M), an initialism for Super Junior-Mandarin, is a Chinese sub-unit of the South Korean boy band Super Junior. The sub-unit is the first international music group in the Chinese music industry to have members of bot ...
's
Henry Lau
Henry Lau (; ko, 헨리; born October 11, 1989), often mononymously referred to as Henry, is a Canadian singer, songwriter, musician, record producer, and actor based in South Korea and China. He debuted in 2008 as a member of Super Junior-M ...
performed and spoke at a panel.
2014
![KCON 2014 Lee Seung Gi](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5a/KCON_2014_Lee_Seung_Gi.jpg)
![KCON 2014 Girls Generation](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6b/KCON_2014_Girls_Generation.jpg)
![KCON 2014 Eric Nam, CNBLUE](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/51/KCON_2014_Eric_Nam%2C_CNBLUE.jpg)
![KCON 2014 Eric Nam, BTS](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/22/KCON_2014_Eric_Nam%2C_BTS.jpg)
KCON '14 was held on August 9–10, returning for a second year to Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena. The artist lineup included
B1A4
B1A4 () is a South Korean boy band formed by WM Entertainment. The group debuted on April 23, 2011 with the single "O.K" from the EP '' Let's Fly'', after being introduced to the public through a webtoon. They have released nine studio albums ( ...
,
BTS
BTS (), also known as the Bangtan Boys, is a South Korean boy band formed in 2010 and debuting in 2013 under Big Hit Entertainment. The septet—consisting of members Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V, and Jungkook—co-writes and co-pr ...
,
CNBLUE
CNBLUE ( ko, 씨엔블루) is a South Korean pop rock band formed in 2009. The band consists of Jung Yong-hwa (leader, main vocals, guitar, keyboard, rap), Kang Min-hyuk ( drums), and Lee Jung-shin ( bass). First bassist Kwon Kwang-jin left t ...
,
G-Dragon
Kwon Ji-yong (; born August 18, 1988), also known by his stage name G-Dragon (지드래곤), is a South Korean rapper, singer-songwriter, record producer, entrepreneur and fashion designer, known as the " King of K-pop". G-Dragon is the recipi ...
,
Girls' Generation,
IU,
Jung Joon-young
Jung Joon-young (born February 21, 1989) is a South Korean former singer-songwriter, radio DJ, host, actor, television personality and convicted serial rapist.
Jung first gained recognition in the 2012 season of the musical reality competiti ...
,
Spica
Spica is the brightest object in the constellation of Virgo and one of the 20 brightest stars in the night sky. It has the Bayer designation α Virginis, which is Latinised to Alpha Virginis and abbreviated Alpha Vir or α Vir. Analys ...
,
Teen Top
Teen Top () is a South Korean boy band formed by TOP Media in 2010. The group is composed of five members: C.A.P, Chunji, Niel, Ricky and Changjo. Originally a six-piece group with L.Joe, the former member had filed for contract termination in ...
, and
VIXX
VIXX ( ko, 빅스 pronounced "vicks"; acronym for "voice, visual, value in excelsis") is a South Korean boy band formed by Jellyfish Entertainment through the 2012 reality show ''MyDOL''. Originally a sextet, the group is presently composed of f ...
. Featured guests included
Lee Seung-gi
Lee Seung-gi (; born January 13, 1987) is a South Korean singer, actor, host, and entertainer.
He has numerous hit songs as a singer such as "Because You're My Woman", "Will You Marry Me", "Return" and "The Ordinary Man". He has garnered furt ...
,
Lee Seo-jin
Lee Seo-jin (born January 30, 1971) is a South Korean actor. He is best known for the reality shows '' Three Meals a Day'' and '' Grandpa Over Flowers''. As an actor, he came to prominence with his leading roles in television series '' Damo'' ( ...
,
Yoo In-na
Yoo In-na (; born June 5, 1982) is a South Korean actress and DJ. After supporting roles in '' High Kick! Through the Roof'' (2009–10) and '' Secret Garden'' (2010), she rose to fame as the lead actress in '' Queen and I'' (2012), which led to ...
,
Nam Gyu-ri
Nam Gyu-ri (; born April 26, 1985) is a South Korean singer and actress. She was the leader of the Korean female trio SeeYa. In 2009, Nam Gyu-ri had a contract dispute with the group's management company and left the group. Lee, Mi-hye오락 ...
,
Kim Ji-seok; and
Eric Nam
Eric Nam (; born November 17, 1988) is an American singer, songwriter, and television personality based in South Korea. Since his debut in 2013, he was named ''GQ Koreas Man of the Year in 2016'','' included on ''Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia ...
,
who hosted red carpet interviews, filmed by ''
Viki''.''
DramaFever
DramaFever was a video streaming website owned by Warner Bros. that offered on-demand streaming video of documentaries, movies, and TV shows with subtitles. DramaFever's content offering was both ad-supported for regular users and available i ...
'' documented the red carpet, explaining the missing Girls' Generation 9th member,
Sooyoung
Choi Soo-young (; born February 10, 1990), professionally known as Sooyoung, is a South Korean singer, actress and songwriter. She was a member of the short-lived Korean-Japanese singing duo Route 0 during 2002 in Japan. After returning to Sou ...
, who was filming a drama.
NBC News
NBC News is the news division of the American broadcast television network NBC. The division operates under NBCUniversal Television and Streaming, a division of NBCUniversal, which is, in turn, a subsidiary of Comcast. The news division's var ...
interviewed
Billboard K-Town
''Billboard'' K-Town is an online magazine column presented weekly, on various days, by ''Billboard'' on its ''Billboard.com'' site. The column, launched on January 29, 2013, reports on K-pop music; artists, concerts, chart information and ne ...
columnist Jeff Benjamin, journalist-author
Euny Hong
Euny Hong is a Korean-American journalist and author, based in France.
Biography
Hong is the author of three books. The novel ''Kept: A Comedy of Sex and Manners'' was published by Simon and Schuster in 2006. ''The Birth of Korean Cool: How One N ...
, and Girls' Generation's
Seohyun
Seo Ju-hyun (; born June 28, 1991), known professionally as Seohyun, is a South Korean singer, actress and songwriter. She debuted as a member of girl group Girls' Generation (and later its subgroup Girls' Generation-TTS) in August 2007, which ...
and
Tiffany to answer "what is K-pop"."
In response to
Fusion TV
Fusion TV was an American pay television news and satire channel owned by Fusion Media Group, a multi-platform media company subsidiary of Univision Communications, which relied in part on the resources of its parent company's news division, No ...
, KCON co-project manager Angela Killoren said, "There's still this sense that, I'm the fan, and I'm the only fan, or I'm one of very few, and these are my artists, you have this incredible sense of – you discovered them, and you own them."
The two nightly concerts were shown on the weekly K-pop cable television show
M Countdown. "2 Nights in LA" was broadcast on
Mnet
M-Net (an abbreviation of Electronic Media Network) is a South African pay television channel established by Naspers in 1986. The channel broadcasts both local and international programming, including general entertainment, children's series, ...
America in the U.S. and in multiple countries.
Danny Im of Mnet America's show "Danny From LA" hosted the concerts, along with "DFLA" co-host
Dumbfoundead
Jonathan Edgar Park (born February 18, 1986), known by his stage name Dumbfoundead (), is an Argentinian-born American rapper and actor. He began his career in the 2000s as a battle rapper in Los Angeles and has since become one of the most prom ...
, Jung Joon-young, Tiffany, and opener Lee Seung-gi."DFLA", in its third season, filmed a live taping of the show at the convention.
For this year's event, Mnet America started a new web-series, "KCON EXPERIENCE 2014", with multiple episodes, including footage of the stars' arrival at the airport in Los Angeles, backstage activities, and the weekend's panels, fan meetings, food stands. The convention included an outdoor marketplace, food truck alley, a mini
4DX
4DX is a 4D film format developed by CJ 4DPlex, a subsidiary of South Korean cinema chain CJ CGV. It allows films to be augmented with various practical effects, including motion-seats, wind, strobe-lights, simulated-snow, and scents. First i ...
theatre, and open stage area; with panels and workshops about music, k-dramas,
e-sports
Esports, short for electronic sports, is a form of competition using video games. Esports often takes the form of organized, multiplayer video game competitions, particularly between professional players, individually or as teams. Although orga ...
, choreography styles, makeup, hair trends; and as billed, "all things
Hallyu".
Korean gaming channel OnGameNet (OGN) also organized a "''League of Legends
''League of Legends'' (''LoL''), commonly referred to as ''League'', is a 2009 multiplayer online battle arena video game developed and published by Riot Games. Inspired by '' Defense of the Ancients'', a custom map for ''Warcraft III'', ...
'' Champion Festival", an event involving Korean team CJ Entus Frost and American team Cloud 9.[
The convention doubled attendance from the previous year, with 42,000 attending. Of those 42,000, nearly 40 percent come from outside California,] most were female, and less than 10 percent were Korean.
2015
![KCON 2015 Super Junior 2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d4/KCON_2015_Super_Junior_2.jpg)
![KCON 2015 Sistar 2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/00/KCON_2015_Sistar_2.jpg)
![KCON 2015 AOA 3](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e9/KCON_2015_AOA_3.jpg)
Saitama, Japan – April 22
KCON '15 expanded outside the United States for the first time and was held in Japan at the Saitama Super Arena
is a multi-purpose indoor arena located in Chūō-ku, Saitama, Saitama Prefecture, Japan. It opened preliminarily on May 5, 2000, and then was officially opened on September 1 of the same year. Its maximum spectator capacity is 36,500, making i ...
. M.I.B's Korean-Japanese vocalist KangNam was the events ambassador. The convention/outdoor stage featured Korean artists CODE-V, High4
High4 (hangul: 하이포; stylized as HIGH4) was a South Korean boy band under the management of List of LOEN Entertainment labels#Independent labels distributed by LOEN Entertainment, N.A.P Entertainment. The group consisted of members Alex, Myu ...
, Shu-I
Super Tribe (So Hot Union of Idols) was a South Korean five member boy band. They debuted on September 11, 2009, with their digital single “Bomb Bomb Bomb”. Before that they had been training for two years together. Their name SHU-I can transla ...
, Tahiti
Tahiti (; Tahitian ; ; previously also known as Otaheite) is the largest island of the Windward group of the Society Islands in French Polynesia. It is located in the central part of the Pacific Ocean and the nearest major landmass is Austra ...
, and 5tion
5tion () is a South Korean boy band
A boy band is loosely defined as a vocal group consisting of young male singers, usually in their teenage years or in their twenties at the time of formation. Generally, boy bands perform love songs mark ...
. Performances on the main stage included Got7, Super Junior, Kangnam, My Name, Lovelyz
Lovelyz () is a South Korean girl group formed in 2014 by Woollim Entertainment and is the company's first girl group. The group consists of eight members: Baby Soul, Jiae, Jisoo, Mijoo, Kei, Jin, Sujeong and Yein. Their debut album, '' Girls ...
, Block B
Block B ( ko, 블락비) is a South Korean boy band managed by KQ Entertainment, and consists of seven members: Taeil, B-Bomb, Jaehyo, U-Kwon, Park Kyung, Zico, and P.O. Block B has received several accolades, including nominations for seve ...
, Sistar
Sistar (, often stylized as SISTAR) was a South Korean girl group formed in 2010 by Starship Entertainment. The group consisted of Hyolyn, Bora, Soyou and Dasom. They made their official debut with the song " Push Push" on 3 June 2010. Their ...
, Infinite
Infinite may refer to:
Mathematics
* Infinite set, a set that is not a finite set
*Infinity, an abstract concept describing something without any limit
Music
*Infinite (group), a South Korean boy band
*''Infinite'' (EP), debut EP of American m ...
, B1A4
B1A4 () is a South Korean boy band formed by WM Entertainment. The group debuted on April 23, 2011 with the single "O.K" from the EP '' Let's Fly'', after being introduced to the public through a webtoon. They have released nine studio albums ( ...
, 2PM
2PM (; romanized; ''Tupiem'') is a South Korean boy band formed by JYP Entertainment. The group is composed of six members: Jun. K (formerly known as Junsu), Nichkhun, Taecyeon, Wooyoung, Junho and Chansung. Originally a seven-piece group, fo ...
's Jun. K
Kim Min-jun (; born January 15, 1988), better known by his stage name Jun. K, is a South Korean rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, dancer and actor. He is the main vocalist of 2PM.
Formerly known as Kim Jun-su (Hangul : 김준수), h ...
, and Supernova.
Freelance journalist Patrick St. Michel, who has lived in Japan for years, covered the Saitama event for MTV Iggy, complimenting the eagerness of the enthusiastic fans (15,000 at the concert), and ''KCON 15's'' successful soft sell
In advertising, a soft sell is an advertisement or campaign that uses a more subtle, casual, or friendly sales message. This approach is the opposite of a hard sell.
Theorists have examined the value of repetition for soft sell versus hard sell ...
of K-pop as a means to help smooth over a long and complicated relationship between Japan and South Korea.
Los Angeles – July 31 – August 2
On April 17, 2015, KCON said the California convention would expand to a three-day event, and would move from the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena to L.A. Live
L.A. Live is an entertainment complex in the South Park District of Downtown Los Angeles, California. It is adjacent to the Crypto.com Arena and Los Angeles Convention Center.
L.A. Live was developed by Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG), Wach ...
and the Staples Center in Downtown Los Angeles.
The convention was preceded with U.S. news reports about the drama and film stars to attend, ''People
A person ( : people) is a being that has certain capacities or attributes such as reason, morality, consciousness or self-consciousness, and being a part of a culturally established form of social relations such as kinship, ownership of prope ...
'' interviewed "Korean heartthrob" Kim Soo-hyun
Kim Soo-hyun (; born February 16, 1988) is a South Korean actor. One of the highest-paid actors in South Korea, his accolades include four Baeksang Arts Awards, two Grand Bell Awards and one Blue Dragon Film Award. From 2012 to 2016 and in ...
, and ''The Hollywood Reporter
''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Hollywood film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade paper, and in 2010 switched to a weekly larg ...
'' accounted for Kim (My Love from the Star
''My Love from the Star'' () is a South Korean fantasy romantic comedy television series written by Park Ji-eun and directed by Jang Tae-yoo. Produced by Choi Moon-suk and Moon Bo-mi, it stars Jun Ji-hyun, Kim Soo-hyun, Park Hae-jin, Yoo In- ...
), Korean American Ki Hong Lee
Ki Hong Lee (born September 30, 1986) is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as Minho in the Maze Runner (film series), ''Maze Runner'' film series and Dong Nguyen in the Netflix sitcom ''Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt''.
Early life an ...
(The Maze Runner
''The Maze Runner'' is a 2009 young adult dystopian science fiction novel written by American author James Dashner and the first book released in ''The Maze Runner'' series. The novel was published on October 6, 2009, by Delacorte Press, an ...
, one of ''People's'' "Sexiest Men Alive"), U.S. born Daniel Henney
Daniel Phillip Henney (born November 28, 1979) is an American actor and model. He first came into international prominence with his television debut as Dr. Henry Kim on the Korean drama ''My Lovely Sam Soon'' (2005).
He has gone on to star in f ...
(his latest Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders) and Son Ho-jun
Son Ho-jun (born June 27, 1984) is a South Korean actor and singer.
Early years and career
Son Ho-jun made his acting debut in 2006 in the educational drama, ''Jump 2''. In 2007, Son made his entertainment debut as the leader of Tachyon, a thr ...
(Reply 1994
''Reply 1994'' () is a 2013 South Korean television series starring Go Ara, Jung Woo, Yoo Yeon-seok, Kim Sung-kyun, Son Ho-jun, Baro, Min Do-hee, Sung Dong-il, and Lee Il-hwa. It aired on tvN from October 18 to December 28, 2013 for 21 episod ...
); as well as drama sessions to be headlined by writer Park Ji-eun
Park Ji-eun (born 1976) is a South Korean television screenwriter. She wrote the hit Korean dramas '' Queen of Housewives'' (2009), ''My Husband Got a Family'' (2012), ''My Love from the Star'' (2013–2014), '' The Producers'' (2015), ''The L ...
(producer, ''My Love From Another Star'') and director Jin Hyuk ( Master's Sun, Doctor Stranger
''Doctor Stranger'' () is a 2014 South Korean television series starring Lee Jong-suk, Jin Se-yeon, Park Hae-jin and Kang So-Ra. It aired on SBS from May 5 to July 8, 2014 on Mondays and Tuesdays at 21:55 KST (UTC+9) for 20 episodes.
Synopsis ...
). Actor Son Ho-jun and director Go Min-gum of tvN TVN may refer to:
* TVN (Australian TV channel), a former horse racing channel
* Televisión Nacional de Chile, a public broadcaster
* TVN (Indonesia), a former television station; predecessor of Rajawali Televisi
* TVN (Norway), or TVNorge, a comm ...
's "Mr. Baek the Homemade Food Master" appeared at DramaFever's co-sponsored screening room of trending K-dramas.
English-language South Korean media Yonhap
Yonhap News Agency is a major South Korean news agency. It is based in Seoul, South Korea. Yonhap provides news articles, pictures and other information to newspapers, TV networks and other media in South Korea.
History
Yonhap (, , translit. ...
called the musical line-up "some of the hottest K-pop artists." It included AOA, Block B, Crush, Got7, Monsta X
Monsta X (; stylized as MONSTA X) is a South Korean boy group formed through the reality survival program ''No.Mercy'' under Starship Entertainment. The group is currently composed of six members: Shownu, Minhyuk, Kihyun, Hyungwon, Joohoney ...
, Red Velvet, Roy Kim
Kim Sang-woo (; born July 3, 1993), known professionally as Roy Kim (), is a South Korean singer-songwriter and radio presenter. He began his singing career after winning the television talent show ''Superstar K 4'' in 2012.
Kim officially deb ...
, Shinhwa
Shinhwa () is a South Korean six-member boy band based in Seoul, composed of Eric Mun, Lee Min-woo, Kim Dong-wan, Shin Hye-sung, Jun Jin, and Andy Lee. Launched by SM Entertainment on March 24, 1998, the group signed with Good Entertainment ...
, Sistar
Sistar (, often stylized as SISTAR) was a South Korean girl group formed in 2010 by Starship Entertainment. The group consisted of Hyolyn, Bora, Soyou and Dasom. They made their official debut with the song " Push Push" on 3 June 2010. Their ...
, Super Junior and Zion.T
Kim Hae-sol (born April 13, 1989), known as Zion.T (), is a South Korean Hip Hop Music, hip hop and Contemporary R&B, R&B singer signed to The Black Label, a subsidiary label of YG Entertainment managed by Teddy Park and Kush. He has released ...
. Getty Images captured photos of Kim Soo-hyun, Eric Nam, and many of the musical performers, individually identifying each name in girl groups AOA, Red Velvet and Sistar.
Billboard noted new group Monsta X after their performance, as a "hot item on the KCON lineup", referring to a similar audience response to KCON '14's newest group, BTS, a group that continued to do a sold-out tour in the U.S. a year later. Billboard gave detailed positive reviews for both night's concerts, and interviewed Red Velvet and Got7.
The Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the U ...
reviewed Sunday's stage, "the year's most significant concert for one of the world's most fascinating music and cultural scenes." "Mega-group" Super Junior's fan base, the "ELFs", were noticed by media, wearing their blue devil horns, with one 23-year-old describing that when she was sad, just looking at Super Junior made her really happy. Fusion TV named seven of their "favorite KCON fashion statements" of the performing bands.
Another South Korean English-language newspaper, ''The Korea Times
''The Korea Times'' is the oldest of three English-language newspapers published daily in South Korea. It is a sister paper of the '' Hankook Ilbo'', a major Korean language daily; both are owned by Dongwha Enterprise, a wood-based manufacture ...
'', headlined, "K-pop proves itself a gateway to South Korea at KCON", and interviewed two "older" fans, aged 28 and 31, whose developing interest in K-pop and K-dramas led them to further interests in other Korean culture (technology, skin products, food and fashion). As in previous years, the convention attempted to satisfy attendees, with one South Korea language based institute helping fans write messages of love and support to their favorite stars in Korean. KCON organizer Killoren reiterated that the convention was not just music, but more, "a convention, a concert, content, a conversation."
South Korea government's web portal Korea.net article stated 120 small and medium-sized enterprises set up booths, and included photos taken by Small and Medium Business Administration
The Small and Medium Business Administration (, SMBA) was one of a small and medium industry organizations in South Korea and is run under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. The headquarters are in Seo District, Daejeon
Daejeon () is ...
staff. They said, "Angelenos have shown their strong enthusiasm for all things Korean."
New York – August 8
In 2015, KCON expanded to New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
, being held outside of Southern California for the first time.
A day before opening, ''Vogue
Vogue may refer to:
Business
* ''Vogue'' (magazine), a US fashion magazine
** British ''Vogue'', a British fashion magazine
** ''Vogue Arabia'', an Arab fashion magazine
** ''Vogue Australia'', an Australian fashion magazine
** ''Vogue China'', ...
'' discussed fashion and favorite designers with AOA and VIXX
VIXX ( ko, 빅스 pronounced "vicks"; acronym for "voice, visual, value in excelsis") is a South Korean boy band formed by Jellyfish Entertainment through the 2012 reality show ''MyDOL''. Originally a sextet, the group is presently composed of f ...
, the later kept busy with a first time "showcase" in Orlando, Florida. Vogue told East Coast K-pop fans to "rejoice...KCon, America's premier (read: only) Korean pop culture convention comes to New York for the first time this weekend, bringing four of the country's top acts stateside", and "Keep your eyes and ears out for snappy songs and slick dance moves, but above all, for the colorful fashion trends." After focusing on the idol's fashion wear in L.A., Fusion TV shared the East Coast's fan's homemade and designer fashions.
Killoren told Fusion TV that fans are eager to learn as much as possible about their idols, so the convention tries to provide this, through Q&A sessions with artists by emcees, and "hi-touches" or high fives between fans and band members.
The Korean Cultural Service New York (KCSNY) combined their fifth annual global K-pop singing and dancing competition (with auditions held worldwide) with KCON, for a pre-show concert of six finalists. N.Y.'s Washington Heights group, The Class, won with a performance of VIXX's "Hyde", and will travel to South Korea to represent the U.S. at the K-Pop World Festival
The K-POP World Festival is an annual K-pop talent competition organized by South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs with the support of numerous government agencies. After going through a few preliminary rounds, fans of K-pop are invited by the ...
.
Teen Top's appearance made them the first band to perform for three consecutive years; along with Girls' Generation, AOA and VIXX.
Billboard's review compared the concert and convention to the inaugural KCON '12 in Irvine, California, pointing to this year's fewer musical acts, but a similar convention set-up, and gave indication of it becoming an "East Coast staple."
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
said, "The tears began as soon as Teen Top waved hello", and interviewed passionate fans, some who lined up for the concert at 2:00 a.m., and attended both the West and East Coast shows. They described fans who wear facial cleanser used by actress Song Ji-hyo
Cheon Soo-yeon (born Cheon Seong-im on 15 August 1981), professionally known by her stage name Song Ji-hyo, is a South Korean actress and model. Song is one of the regular cast members of the South Korean variety show '' Running Man'' since 201 ...
of variety show '' Running Man'' and according to DramaFever watch over 53.9 hours per month streaming videos, compared with about 10.7 hours for Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fi ...
users, are 85 percent non-Asian, and are mostly women aged 18 to 24.
Fuse TV
Fuse is an American pay television channel launched in 1994 which was originally dedicated to music. After merging with the Latino-oriented NuvoTV in 2015, Fuse shifted its focus to general entertainment and lifestyle programming targeting multi ...
said the convention attendees were represented by all racial demographics, "women didn't outnumber men the way you'd normally see at a pop music convention", and "teens were out in full force, but not the majority."
Jeju, South Korea – November 6–7
In November, KCON held its first 2-day domestic convention and concerts on the South Korean island of Jeju
Jeju may refer to:
* Jeju Island (Jejudo), an island near South Korea
* Jeju Province (formerly transliterated Cheju), a province of South Korea comprising Jejudo
**Jeju City, the biggest city on Jejudo
**Jeju dog, a dog native to Jejudo
** Jeju l ...
. Daily solo performances were held at the convention hall stage, and a main stadium concert on the second night, with a line-up including Shinhwa, Roy Kim, Block B, SG Wannabe
SG Wannabe () is a South Korean vocal group consisting of members Kim Yong-jun, Kim Jin-ho and Lee Seok-hoon. The group debuted in January 2004 with the single, "Timeless", from the album ''SG Wanna Be+'', and won Best New Artist at the Golden ...
, SPICA, M.I.B's Kangnam, Poten, Park Boram (soloist from Superstar K2
''Superstar K2'' is a South Korean television show on Mnet. ''Superstar K2'' is season two of the Superstar competition series in which singers audition to get on the show. Each week, the singers perform a song and are eliminated based on the th ...
), Oh My Girl
Oh My Girl (, also stylized as OH MY GIRL and OMG) is a South Korean girl group formed by WM Entertainment. The group is composed of six members: Hyojung, Mimi, YooA, Seunghee, Yubin and Arin. Originally an eight-piece group, JinE left the gro ...
, Shin Seung-hun
Shin Seung-hun (; born 21 March 1966) is a South Korean singer-songwriter who was known in the 1990s as the "Emperor of Ballads." He debuted in 1990 with the hit song, "Reflection of You in Your Smile," and has since released 12 studio albums. B ...
, Teen Top, Day6
Day6 (; stylized in all caps) is a South Korean pop rock band under the label JYP Entertainment. The group debuted on September 7, 2015, with the EP ''The Day,'' which peaked at No.2 on ''Billboard''s World Album Chart a week following its r ...
, Paloalto, Mamamoo, Sonamoo
Sonamoo (; stylized as SONAMOO, lit. Pine Tree) was a South Korean girl group formed by TS Entertainment. Originally a seven-member group, members Sumin and Nahyun left the group in 2019 after they filed a lawsuit to terminate the contracts with ...
and Chen Zi Tong.
The Jeju Tourism Organization and CJ E&M said the event was scheduled in hopes of revitalizing the local economy by drawing more tourists to the island.
2015 total attendance
By the end of August, KCON '15's total attendance for the U.S. and Japan was 90,000; L.A.'s three days had 58,000 attendance and the two concerts in Staples Center with a sold-out crowd of 28,000 fans and Gross Sales $2,055,800, Newark's total was 17,000, and Saitama had 15,000.
In November, the yearly attendance totals grew to 107,000, with the addition of the Jeju dates, which approximately 17,000 attended.
2020–2021 KCON:TACT
In 2020, all in-person KCON events scheduled were all cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
. On May 14, 2020, KCON announced that it will be taking place on Mnet
M-Net (an abbreviation of Electronic Media Network) is a South African pay television channel established by Naspers in 1986. The channel broadcasts both local and international programming, including general entertainment, children's series, ...
's YouTube channel on June 20–26, 2020 titled, "KCON:TACT", with 4 hours of concert every day, a Meet and Greet, and other benefits included with a YouTube Membership. The second season of KCON:TACT was held from October 16 until October 25 on Mnet and KCON's YouTube channel through membership.
On February 16, 2021, Mnet announced that the online concert and meet and greet is coming back for 9 days, from March 20–28, 2021
2022
In 2022 KCON is the year KCON switched from online to in person again. Due to the pandemic, the previous years (2020-2021), was held online. In 2022 it will be held in South Korea, Japan, the United States, and Saudi Arabia. It will be held from May 7 to October 16.
Reception
Jeff Benjamin, Billboard K-Town columnist, wrote that the convention has "hit every note to provide a new look at a world of music still gaining ground in the U.S.", and with thousands of people from all over North America attending KCON ‘12, the convention has "truly proved its ability to pass language barriers and kick-start what may be an annual music tradition." ''The Orange County Register
''The Orange County Register'' is a paid daily newspaper published in California. The ''Register'', published in Orange County, California, is owned by the private equity firm Alden Global Capital via its Digital Fiest/Media News subsidiaries. ...
'' described KCON ‘12 as "A daylong K-Pop invasion at Verizon Wireless Amphitheater".
In 2014, New York City's Fuse TV said, "In just three years, KCON has become an annual pilgrimage for K-pop fans in America." NBC News said, "Thousands of screaming fans and the stars they adore gathered in Los Angeles for KCON, a celebration of Korean pop music and culture". Miami
Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at ...
's Fusion TV called KCON '14 "the mother ship of all Korean culture events in this country",[ and observed, "k-pop fans might be the most devoted in the entire world."] Melissa Block
Melissa Block (born December 28, 1961) is an American radio host and journalist. She co-hosted NPR's ''All Things Considered'' news program from 2003 until August 14, 2015. In August 2015 she became a Special Correspondent for NPR, responsible fo ...
of NPR
National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other ...
's All Things Considered
''All Things Considered'' (''ATC'') is the flagship news program on the American network National Public Radio (NPR). It was the first news program on NPR, premiering on May 3, 1971. It is broadcast live on NPR affiliated stations in the United ...
said of KCON '14, "K-pop is here to stay."
In 2015, Daniel Kreps of ''Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
'' wrote: "KCON has become so popular in the U.S. that even the Los Angeles fest is expanding to a larger venue...as attendance has ballooned since the inaugural KCON LA in 2012", and "will go bi-coastal...and head to Newark", adding, "KCON also hosted their first ever Japan convention." August Brown of the ''Los Angeles Times'' wrote: "In its early years, many wondered whether a South Korean act (other than Psy) could impact mainstream top-40 pop. But after watching the Sunday night installment of KCON 2015, it's clear that's the wrong question. K-pop's young and wide-ranging audience is the new mainstream in America."
Locations and dates
See also
* HallyuPopFest
* Dream Concert
References
External links
*
{{K-pop
Music festivals staged internationally
Conventions in California
CJ E&M
K-pop concerts
K-pop festivals
Music festivals established in 2012