![\"KCCI](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/kcci.png\")
<\/p>\nK-pop culture finds home in central Iowa as fans build community beyond the music<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAT RAINFALL COMING LATER THIS WEEK. COMING UP. ALL RIGHT. WE ARE AT THE END OF ASIAN AMERICAN PACIFIC ISLANDER MONTH IN TONIGHT\u2019S PROJECT COMMUNITY. WE\u2019RE TALKING TO WHETHER WE\u2019RE TAKING A LOOK AT THE IMPACT K-POP HAS HAD ON GROWING FAN BASES HERE IN CENTRAL IOWA. AND AS FANS TELL KCCI KAYLA JAMES, IT\u2019S MORE THAN JUST A MUSIC OR A GENRE. K-POP HAS BECOME A WAY TO BRING PEOPLE OF ALL BACKGROUNDS TOGETHER AND INTRODUCE THEM TO SOMETHING NEW. MAKE SOME NOISE FOR BTS. T THINK I\u2019LL WIN HOOLIGANS. WHETHER IT\u2019S AT MUSIC AWARDS SHOWS OR ON SOCIAL MEDIA APPS, YOU CAN\u2019T DENY THE GLOBAL LOVE FOR K-POP CONTINUES TO GROW. IT\u2019S JUST AN EXPRESSION OF LIKE, DIFFERENT MUSIC. IT\u2019S REALLY BECOMES MORE OF A LIFESTYLE RATHER THAN JUST A GENRE OF MUSIC. THE LOVE AND APPRECIATION FOR K-POP AND THE CULTURE SURROUNDING IT MANIFESTS IN DIFFERENT WAYS, FROM FANS USING THEIR SKILLS TO CELEBRATE THEIR FAVORITE GROUPS. I MET CHILDREN\u2019S BOOK ILLUSTRATOR AND STORES FULLY DEDICATED TO K-POP, POPPING UP WITH MUCH TO OFFER LIKE LITTLE PLUSHIE AND KEYCHAINS. LIKE MINI STUDIOS, K-POP AND GIFTS. IN WEST DES MOINES, THE STORE OPENED UP ON A CHILLY FEBRUARY DAY LAST YEAR. IT WAS QUITE A SHOCK TO SEE PEOPLE LINING UP FOR US OUT THE DOOR ON OUR GRAND OPENING DAY, BUT IT WASN\u2019T THE LONG LINES IN THE WINTER WEATHER THAT SHOCKED OWNERS EMILY AND JAMES LYNN WEREN\u2019T SURE IF THERE WAS A LOT OF K-POP FANS HERE. THERE WASN\u2019T REALLY ANY REAL INDICATOR THAT PEOPLE IN IOWA ENJOYS K-POP. A YEAR LATER, MEN\u2019S STUDIOS, K-POP AND GIFTS HAS HELPED CHANGE THAT PERCEPTION. I ALWAYS GET REALLY HAPPY WHEN I SEE CUSTOMERS COME IN AND THEY HAVE ONE OF MY PHOTO CARD HOLDERS ON THEIR BAG. FROM KOREAN COSMETICS TO TRINKETS, THEY LIKE TO DECORATE THEIR BAGS AND PUT THEM ON THEM TO DECORATIONS AND PAPER PRODUCTS MADE BY EMMA. AND OF COURSE, THE MUSIC. WE TRY TO KEEP EACH SECTION OF A SHELF FOR ONE K-POP GROUP. EMMA AND JAMES HAVE WATCHED THAT THEIR SHOP HAS BECOME MORE THAN JUST A STOREFRONT. THERE WAS JUST A LACK OF LIKE A PHYSICAL SPACE FOR FANS TO COME AND MEET AND CONNECT WITH ONE ANOTHER. SO. I JUST KIND OF WANTED TO BE THAT PERSON TO PROVIDE THE SPACE AND K-POP FANS, JAMES SAYS, ARE GETTING TO ALSO LEARN. WITH K-POP, WE\u2019RE KIND OF LIKE ENTERING INTO AN ERA WHERE PEOPLE ARE GETTING TO EXPERIENCE DIFFERENT CULTURE IN A WAY THAT PEOPLE HAVEN\u2019T BEEN ABLE TO IN THE PAST, K-POP FANS SAY SOCIAL MEDIA PLAYS A HEAVY ROLE IN THAT IMMERSION. WITH TIKTOK, THERE\u2019S LIKE TRENDS NOW AND THEN. PEOPLE, THEY TEND TO DO LIKE THESE TRENDS WITHOUT KNOWING THE LIKE THE ORIGIN. AND THEN ONCE THEY FOUND OUT, THEY\u2019RE LIKE, OH, THIS IS ACTUALLY KIND OF GOOD MUSIC DID COME FROM SOUTH KOREA. OUT OF THE TRENDS, K-POP FANS LINED UP IN DES MOINES FOR A CONCERT IN MID MAY FOR K-POP GROUP CAMPERS, AND ONE SHARING THE IMPACT KOREAN CULTURE HAS HAD ON THEM. IT\u2019S REALLY INTERESTING TO SEE THE DIFFERENCES IN LANGUAGES, ESPECIALLY LIKE HOW SENTENCES ARE STRUCTURED AND STUFF LIKE THAT. I CAN LIKE EXPRESS MY MYSELF WITH MY WARDROBE. FOR ME PERSONALLY, IT WAS A WAY TO GET INTO THE ASIAN COMMUNITY. I\u2019M ADOPTED, SO I\u2019M NOT REALLY HAVE ANY LIKE PEOPLE THAT ARE LIKE, LOOK LIKE ME. SO I\u2019M LIKE, OH, THIS IS A WAY FOR ME TO SEE PEOPLE WHO LOOK LIKE ME. IT\u2019S COMMON THAT K-POP POP UP EVENTS, OR IN THE LINES OF CONCERTS, FANS MEET FOR THE FIRST TIME. WE MET IN LINE AT LIKE 5 A.M. AND IMMEDIATELY BECOME FRIENDS. A SENSE OF TOGETHERNESS AND ACCEPTANCE THAT COMES WITH K-POP CULTURE. EVERYBODY COMES FROM DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS BECAUSE, LIKE, THERE\u2019S SO MANY DIFFERENT VARIETY OF BETWEEN LIKE EVERY K-POP STAN. SO LIKE YOU MEET NEW PEOPLE THAT YOU WOULDN\u2019T EVEN LIKE, REALLY THINK THAT YOU\u2019D MEET FOR SO MANY PEOPLE. K-POP IS MORE THAN MUSIC. WHEN I WANT TO LIKE. AVOID, LIKE ANYTHING THAT\u2019S UPSETTING ME, LIKE IT HELPS CALM ME DOWN. IT\u2019S MORE THAN A GENRE. THERE\u2019S A CULTURE SURROUNDING K-POP THAT MAKES FANS FEEL COMFORTABLE, AND AT THEIR BEST, I CAN FEEL MORE OF MYSELF WITH THIS COMMUNITY, WHIC\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
K-pop culture finds home in central Iowa as fans build community beyond the music<\/p>\n
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\n\t\t\tUpdated: 6:40 PM CDT Jun 5, 2026\n\t\t<\/p>\n