K-drama stars ramp up excitement for expanded celebration of Korean culture at KCON 2024

As cries of “oppa saranghae!” ring out, South Korean actor Kim Soo-hyun seems pleasantly overwhelmed by the huge crowd gathered in front of the stage at KCON 2024 L.A.

This year, L.A.’s biggest Korean culture event was spread across three venues: the Convention Center, Crypto.com Arena and Gilbert Lindsay Plaza downtown.

While journalist Regina Kim interviewed him in front of an audience of hundreds, the star seemed agreeably distracted, sending smiles, waves and finger hearts to his adoring audience.

Kim Soo-hyun, now 36, made his television debut at 19, and his popularity has only grown since.

His latest drama, “Queen of Tears,” was a success. The Netflix series was one of the highest-rated non-English-language shows of 2024.

In the 12 years since the first KCON at Irvine’s Verizon Amphitheater, Korean music, dramas, films and television have become a booming micro-economy. The event has expanded alongside that growth, now reaching attendees across the globe — KCON Germany is set for this September.

Organizer CJ ENM, one of South Korea’s largest entertainment groups, says this year’s event, held from July 26 to 28, drew 5.9 million fans from 170 countries, including many TV viewers who tuned in Sunday night to watch headlining acts like rapper Zico and bands NCT 127 and Enhyphen perform live from the Crypto.com arena. The show aired on American television for the first time, with actor Awkwafina as the special host.

KCON’s increased scale reflects a deliberate effort by its organizers. Harry H.K. Shin, head of music entertainment at CJ ENM, said the overall strategy for KCON’s future is to grow in every aspect, including emphasizing massive K-drama stars like Kim, actor Park Min-young (“Marry My Husband”) and actor and singer Rowoon, who hosted and met fans at this year’s event.

Panels, which used to be a more prominent feature, were thinner, allowing attendees more time between speaking events to catch their favorite celebrity fan meeting or audition for the signature “Dream Stage,” where fans vie for a chance to dance on the big stage with their favorite stars.

Shin said audience feedback is essential to creating a KCON experience tailored to what most fans want. Survey information CJ ENM collects is used when planning the next experience.

“We expanded the survey to get more needs and opinions,” he said, adding, “We used to have M Countdown stage [as the main performance stage], but this year we can have increased attendance because we have the KCON stage performances with all-day programming, we have different venues.”

Some KCON veterans believe that bigger isn’t necessarily better. Christian Oh of the Washington, D.C., area did not attend this year, but has attended and even acted as a host, panelist and emcee at past KCONs from 2015 until the pandemic.

“I think it is still a viable exposure and awareness event, but I miss the days when things were much more accessible,” he said. “Like I could buy a KCON pass which was separate from the concert, and I could go look at the vendors, talk to people, see the smaller acts, just the YouTube or Instagram stars that didn’t have a million followers but they were there promoting themselves.”

That doesn’t matter much to attendees like Ling Lin who are drawn in by big names.

Lin and her sisters, Lily and Dewi, flew in from Georgia at the last minute to see Kim Soo-hyun. “I’ve always admired him as a person. He came from a humble beginning, and he’s still staying humble,” Lin said.

Lin represents an overlooked demographic: K-culture fans in their 30s, 40s and 50s who have money to spend following their favorite actors across the globe, booking trips to South Korea and attending multiple concerts and events in a year.

Of course, the younger demographic remains represented. A group of young women, waiting to see Enhypen the next night, occupied a line of tents on the sidewalk outside Crypto.com Arena.

And people of all ages were excited to cheer on girl group Bini, the first all-Filipino act to hit the KCON stage.

For Kyra Godoy, a 20-something K-pop fan of eight years, one of the biggest draws to the event wasn’t the major stars, but the fan culture itself. A longtime fan of K-culture, the L.A.-area resident said she always wanted to come to KCON and finally got the chance when she and her sister won VIP tickets through sponsor Samsung.

“Everyone has been so nice,” Godoy said during a break inside the arena. “I think it’s cute to be around a lot of people who all like the same thing.”