KCON // Courtesy of CJ ENM
CJ ENM
KCON LA concluded its massive three-day Korean Culture festival on August 1–3 at the Los Angeles Convention Center and Crypto.com Arena, with over 125,000 attendees on-site, and many more joining virtually through digital platforms.
Since 2012, KCON has served as a connector between K-culture (encompassing K-pop, K-dramas, K-beauty, and more) and American fans, establishing itself as a leader in the global K-pop music scene. The event was streamed worldwide on Prime Video and Twitch through a partnership with Amazon Prime, bringing the stage to a broader audience (in addition to curating K-pop playlists for Amazon Music users).
It’s no wonder that the convention remains so popular that the city of Los Angeles officially designated August 1, 2025, as “KCON Day,” in recognition of the world’s largest K-Culture Fan and Artist festival, typically happening on that weekend since 2012.
This year, there have been so many incredible highlights to KCON – inside and outside of the convention center. From the X-STAGE – showcasing K-pop rookies making their mark internationally to hosting a fan meetup with Korean actor/singer Yim Si-wan – to the DREAM STAGE – fans having the opportunity to dance with their idols, there was always something to do.
Highlights from KCON LA 2025
Off-site: K-Culture Night at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures Event
On the evening before KCON, the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures and CJ ENM hosted a K-Culture Night to kick off the KCON weekend, featuring Korean celebrities, performances, and creatives taking the stage to perform or share their thoughts. Korean American singer/actor Eric Nam served as the MC, interviewing Korean actor/singer Yim Si-wan (Squid Game), with performances by Stage Fighter winner CHOIHOJONG, J-Pop’s IS:SUE, Korean rapper Lee Young Ji, and K-pop group P1Harmony.
It was a fun night filled with laughter, tears, and fantastic interactions with their favorite idols. It was a great start to a whole weekend of K-culture and music.
KCON Festival Grounds: WayBetter and IS:SUE at passing out McDonald’s Snack Wraps to Fans
McDonald’s has been a staple at KCON for the past few years. This year, they brought their Snack Wrap Showdown and booth, handing out chicken snack wraps, and offering a chance to win a few prizes. To add some fun for the K-pop fans, WayBetter and IS:SUE made surprise appearances at different times throughout the weekend, handing out snack wraps as they walked by the booth. It was so exciting to be handed a snack by an idol, whom fans could be hilariously heard saying, “a snack by a ‘snack’.”
izna’s ‘Golden’ Performance // Courtesy of CJ ENM
CJ ENM
M Countdown: Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters Takedown and Takeover!
Day 1 of the M Countdown Stage was really fun with its references to the massive hit animated movie, KPop Demon Hunters. The show opened with the film’s villain, Gwi-ma, showing up to address the crowd about finding a K-pop group to help him steal more souls. Lo and behold, the voice of Gwi-ma, Lee Byung-hyun, showed up to welcome the audience to KCON LA 2025. The iconic actor then went on to introduce the first performances of the night, NCT 127 (who closed the night as well). It was very fitting to have Lee as Gwi-ma to introduce a powerful boy group.
The KPop Demon Hunters reference continued with izna’s performance of Huntrix’s Golden. Three of their members – Jeemin, Koko, and Jungeun – dressed as the animated trio and properly sealed the honmoon during their performance, which ended with golden streamers and lights reflected across the stage. It was entertaining to see the popular song, which has become a cultural phenomenon, referenced by the K-pop world.
Off-site: JO1’s KCON Pop-Up Event in Los Angeles – JO1 Sound Café at 6XS STUDIO
On Thursday, July 31, and Friday, August 1, JO1 held a Pop-Up event for their JAM – the fandom for the group – at a café in Los Angeles, not too far from the Los Angeles Convention Center. Fans lined up to enter the lovely, decorated space filled with JO1 photo ops and an opportunity to win a signed Polaroid of a member. Several members from the group showed up behind the counter to serve special fans throughout the day, making it an even more noteworthy experience for those who waited hours for their idols.
It was exciting to witness fans cheering inside the café as members arrived, took drink orders, and served them. Several hardcore fans had traveled from Japan and Korea to participate in the pop-up, and nearly cried when seeing the group close up behind the counter.
The drinks themselves were curated explicitly by their team for the event, and they were delicious.
YIM SI-WAN // Courtesy of CJ ENM
CJENM
KCON Festival Grounds: X-Stage’s Yim Si-wan Knows How To Entertain
The Korean actor is just naturally funny. From the Academy Museum event to his X-Stage, he’s just been a good sport with his fans, putting on dog ears and playing games, including a Korean childhood game shown in Squid Game, Jegichagi (Korean hackey sack), which the actor boasted he’s pretty good at. Throughout the interview, he kept throwing aegyos (cute displays of affection) to fans, which left many fans touched by the popular actor.
M Countdown: Lee Young-ji X Hanbin Dance Battle
In an unexpected collaboration, ZEROBASEONE’s Hanbin and rapper Lee Young-ji engaged in a dance battle, both showcasing extraordinary tutting and waacking skills. The two-minute performance left jaws on the floor, including professional dancers, who were impressed by the duo. It’s known that before becoming an idol, Hanbin was a professional dancer (backup dancer for BTS and Wanna One) and dance instructor. However, known mainly for her rap skills, hilarious commentary, and hosting, Lee’s dance skills were impressive.
JO1 // K-POP Generation Stage // Courtesy of CJ ENM
CJ ENM
M Countdown: The K-Pop Generational Stage
Fourth-generation J-pop group JO1 and fifth-generation K-pop groups MEOVV and izna covered classic and popular K-pop songs from the previous generations.
JO1, who previously covered SEVENTEEN’s “Super” at KCON LA 2023, paid respects to the group again with an incredible rendition of SEVENTEEN’s “Fear” this year. Their synchronization was fantastic, especially hearing it performed by JO1’s stunning vocals.
MEOVV honored the second-generation group, Brown Eyed Girls, with their version of “Abracadabra.” It’s quite cute to see how the MEOVV performed this song, as two of the members weren’t born yet when Brown Eyed Girls debuted back in 2006.
izna performed the fourth-generation (and now disbanded) group IZ*ONE’s “Fiesta.” Dressed in flowy pink and white outfits, the adorable seven-member group reinterpreted the original choreography, making it their own.
KCON Festival Grounds / M Countdown: ZEROBASEONE Putting In The Work
The popular K-pop group was all around, non-stop, during KCON. From their Artist Stage to the Meet-and-Greet to performing and hosting for all three days of the M Countdown stage, they were everywhere all at once. It was surprising to hear another announcement of ZEROBASEONE every day, doing a new gig. It’s impressive, and it came as no surprise that this talented group of nine members can do it all.
HOSHI X WOOZI // DREAM STAGE // Courtesy of CJ ENM
CJ ENM
M Countdown: KCON’s DREAM Stage Giving Fans Opportunities To Dance With Their Idol
It is almost every dancer’s dream to dance alongside their favorite artist. KCON’s DREAM Stage allows that to happen for lucky fans who can make it to the final stage. It’s truly inspiring to see the effort fans put into their performances and the chance to dance with and for their artist. In this case, the fans could dance alongside NCT 127, MONSTA X, and HOSHI X WOOZI (SEVENTEEN’S HxW).
Seeing the fairies given to several fans after the performance was endearing, especially seeing their faces light up. It’s truly special.
KCON Festival Grounds: P1Harmony Making Their Drinks At The Chi Forest Booth
The members of P1Harmony are young and funny when it comes to variety shows and interviews, so having them perform a live, fun set of games at the Chi Forest booth was amusing to watch. The members created drink concoctions using the sparkling water, fruits, and other scents. It was just a fun and sweet experience for fans to witness their idol up close and personal.
Another hilarious moment with the group was during their Artist Stage. P1Harmony leader Keeho had fans chanting the last part of his name during their Artist Stage set, which left him slightly embarrassed, as he realized that when he said, “Kee,” they responded with “Ho.”
MONSTA X during M Countdown // Courtesy of CJ ENM
CJ ENM
M Countdown: MONSTA X Returned To The KCON Stage After Nine Years
For many who have been attending KCON for many years, this was a significant moment in K-pop history as MONSTA X returned as a group (I.M unfortunately could not attend due to a back injury). With the many military discharges within the past few months from the group, who celebrated 10 years as a group in May, it was heartwarming to have them together, making new music (soon). It was also a nice introduction to the group for newer fans who may not have been aware of the superstar group.
It was also touching to see the second-generation group embrace fellow second-generation artist Jackson Wang (of GOT7), who performed solo the same evening. At the end of the show, all the artists come on stage to wave at fans and bow together with their members or alone. Since Wang performed alone, the members of MONSTA X grabbed his hands and bowed together to the audience. It was such an incredible moment to witness, showcasing the love and friendship these idols have with each other.
For more information on KCON LA and other KCON-based events, click here.