KCON LA 2025 to Be Held, With Film Stars Lee Byung-hun and Im Si-wan Appearing... Honolulu Korean Culture Festival Also Takes Place

"The world’s largest K-pop fan festival, KCON LA 2025, will be held from August 1 to 3 at the Los Angeles Convention Center and Crypto.com Arena in the United States. Actors Lee Byung-hun and Im Si-wan, famous from the drama ‘Squid Game,’ will make special appearances. On the opening day, August 1, Lee Byung-hun and Im Si-wan are scheduled to appear on M Countdown. Im Si-wan will also participate in ‘K-Culture Night at Academy Museum,’ hosted by Eric Nam, at the Academy Museum on July 31. This event became the Academy Museum’s fastest-selling ticket event, with all tickets selling out within two hours. The lineup for ‘K-Culture Night at Academy Museum’ includes talented performers such as dancer ChoiHoJong, K-pop artist Lee Youngji, P1Harmony, and the Japanese girl group IS:SUE. In 2024, KCON maintained its status as the world’s largest K-pop fan festival by attracting 5.9 million fans from over 170 countries. Meanwhile, a K-pop-focused cultural event will also take place in Honolulu, Hawaii. The annual Honolulu Korean Culture Festival will be held at Honolulu’s Hale Koa Plaza on August 2, featuring a variety of programs from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. This year, thanks to a new partnership with Pledis, one of South Korea’s largest entertainment companies, a talent competition will be held to discover the next generation of K-pop stars in Hawaii. The festival will offer programs that blend tradition and modernity, including traditional food and modern street food, K-pop dance performances, DJ sets, and taekwondo demonstrations. In particular, a demonstration team from the Korean Taekwondo Association, recognized as the world’s central governing body for taekwondo, will perform directly from South Korea. The organizing committee expects over 25,000 attendees this year, along with more than 100 volunteers from various Korean and local organizations. The proceeds from the festival will be used for various social initiatives, such as an annual scholarship fund supported by the Hawaii Korean Chamber of Commerce to assist outstanding students of Korean descent with a strong sense of community service. Admission is free, while food and merchandise will be available for purchase separately."