SeeCalifornia.com

Pictured is K-pop band, Twice, featured at the annual KCON at Los Angeles Convention Center through Aug.12, 2018. Guests are invited to “dance the night away” with the group, one of dozens of K-pop bands such as Crush, Dreamcatcher, Golden Child and Momoland, appearing at the nation’s largest convention dedicated to Korean pop entertainment, a $5 billion industry.

Bringing all things “Hallyu” (Korean wave — music, entertainment, videos, fashion, etc.) to California since its first convention in Irvine in 2012, KCON has grown to encompass two cities (Los Angeles and New York) with attendance at approx. 128,000 annually.

If you’re like many who would rather see a free concert such as Blue Oyster Cult at Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk this weekend, Pat Benatar at L.A.’s Pershing Square, or Ronnie Spector & the Ronettes at San Francisco’s Stern Grove, the whole Korean bubble gum culture thing may escape you. Here’s what you are missing:

• The top-rated K-pop artist, Psy, who was named the King of Youtube, not only enjoys more than 3 billion viewers for “Gangnam Style” song, but also has earned $45 million!
• California has the largest Korean community in the U.S. Greater Los Angeles also claims the largest such population of any city in the nation.
• Parents hoping to help their children acquire K-pop stardom attend KCON for sessions about music, dance lessons, costumes, makeup and essentials for navigating its choppy waters.
• With music that includes rap, pop and many contemporary genres, the K-pop fan base is expansive.