Inside KCON LA 2023, an extravagant microcosm of K-pop's macro influence

abcnews.go.com:

This past weekend, an estimated 140,000 diehard K-pop fans took over the Los Angeles Convention Center and adjacent Crypto

LOS ANGELES — Hours before doors would open, thousands of K-pop fans lined up in downtown Los Angeles, stretching long city blocks in the warm August sun. In pleated skirts and platform shoes, toting the clear bags that have become arena staples, they danced and traded homemade stickers, banners, bracelets and photocards. Inside was their paradise: an IRL space to commune over their URL passions.

If anything, the 2023 LA KCON was a microcosm of K-pop’s macro influence on the music industry as a whole.

Held from Friday to Sunday at the Los Angeles Convention Center and adjacent Crypto.com Arena, an estimated 140,000 fans from all over the world celebrated their favorite K-pop idols across three days of panels, premium meet-and-greets, interviews, dance breaks, concerts, and more.

Inside the convention center, fans carried lightsticks of their favorite groups, showed off DIY shirts with simple, direct slogans like “I HEART MINGI”, collected sticker books and K-beauty products, and lined up for tteokbokki.

KCON started 11 years ago in Irvine, California, drawing 10,000 people to its inaugural celebration of Korean culture, says Steve Chung, chief global officer of organizers CJ ENM. Now it's a global event, taking place in multiple countries: So far in 2023, KCON has hit Thailand, Japan and the U.S.

“We've welcomed something like half a million people in those (11) years all throughout the world,” he says.

In Los Angeles, panels were held on K-pop songwriting and cup sleeve creations (K-pop fan events are held at cafes on an idol's birthday, anniversary, or some other special date). Up-and-coming