At 8 p.m. on the 15th (local time) at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles (LA), California. As a teaser video played on the big screen before the girl group ILLIT took the stage, a near-scream roar erupted from the crowd when the intro to the hit song "Magnetic" was heard. The members had not even appeared yet. For just a few seconds, a familiar melody flowed, but the audience that filled the seats waved their light sticks and cheered so loudly it made ears ring.
When an artist made a surprise appearance in the middle of the crowd during the show, the atmosphere heated up in an instant. The audience rose to their feet all at once and looked around. Many held up their phones to capture the scene from as close as possible. The emcee and singers called those who came to KCON "KCON-ER" and asked that when they shouted "KCON," the crowd respond with "NOLJA." After that, every time the cry of "KCON" rang out, "NOLJA!" echoed from the seats.
KCON is a K-culture event that CJ ENM first launched in 2012 in Irvine, California. It started with an audience of 10,000 in its first year and has expanded its stage to the United States, Japan, France, Saudi Arabia, and beyond. Cumulative attendance reached 2.35 million as of last year. While K-pop concerts were the centerpiece, it has now become an event that encompasses K-culture overall, including food, beauty, film and drama.
Crypto.com Arena, where the performances were held, is the home arena of the storied NBA franchise LA Lakers. Covering about 93,000 square meters (28,100 pyeong), it can hold up to 19,395 people for concerts. The court where NBA stars usually play becomes a stage for K-pop stars during KCON. Until the show began, the LA Convention Center across from the arena served as a venue to experience K-pop culture, including a dance stage.
Park Chan-uk, head of CJ ENM's convention business unit, said, "KCON is distinguished from other shows in that it is not only a K-pop concert but also a convention with a variety of hands-on content." This year, the scope of the convention was expanded further to encompass K-lifestyle overall. With the main theme of "K SOUL CITY," it was staged so visitors could experience various Korean cultures—K-pop, beauty, food, and drama—as if traveling through downtown Seoul.
There was also a space modeled after an outdoor film festival held under a Han River bridge in Seoul. Seated in camping chairs, the audience nodded or burst into laughter as actor Park Eun-bin talked about her drama "Spellbound," in which she appeared. Some in the crowd reacted as if they remembered the drama scenes. One floor below, tables were set up in the style of a pojangmacha, creating a space that felt like a Korean night market. "K Collection," featuring domestic small and midsize companies, was also located there.
This year's KCON event featured Olive Young as the title sponsor as it pushes to expand in the United States. Olive Young's logo floated across the seats and big screens, and the emcee mentioned Olive Young dozens of times. They also shared the news that stores had opened in the United States, including in Pasadena.
CJ said the fandom gathered by K-pop is spreading into various K-cultures such as beauty, food, and drama. CJ CEO Kim Jin-seok said, "We plan to boost group synergy based on KCON's drawing power," and added, "We will make it a space where affiliates like Bibigo and Olive Young can generate synergy together."
CJ Group Chairman Lee Jay-hyun, who toured Olive Young Festa and K Collection in the morning, also watched the performance with CJ Group Vice Chair Lee Mie-kyung and CJ ENM Brand Strategy Chief Lee Kyung-hoo. Lee visited the United States again three months after May.