HALLYU Magazine No. 77

Joong

KCON 2022Los Angeles10th Year Anniversary

Written by Linda Yang Photos Courtesy of CJ ENM

The hustle and bustle around Crypto Stadium and convention area in Downtown Los Angeles could be seen from afar. Excitement stirred as the KCON convention doors prepare to open. Many waited in line to pick-up goodie bags filled with photo cards, high touch opportunities during artist engagement sessions, and much more. Another line wrapping around Crypto Stadium had begun to form in the wee hours of the night trying to get a better chance of entering the General Admission floor for the evening shows being held on the second and last night of KCON.

For those unfamiliar with KCON, it is a convention with everything Korean from their beauty products to food to music and television. The convention offered a variety of panels and workshops the participants may attend to expand their knowledge and build upon what they already have. The panels provided a different perspective of the entertainment industry that can be explored to one’s heart’s desire. On the main convention floor, there are different stages set-up for performances to be held during the weekend. The stages were surrounded by different types of booths containing giveaways, games, and fun things to purchase. By walking around, you get a taste of the latest street snacks to snagging

a music album you may have missed or was introduced to while at the convention. Once you are done looking around, you can stop by the interactive booths that had games to awaken your inner child. Many upcoming and currently showing movies were being introduced with a variety of photos and photo booths. CJ Entertainment provided KCON’ners the opportunity to select their next drama project and it’s cast. Kocowa had games you can play bringing light to the Korean dramas and variety shows - - such as Running Man. For KCON’ners who held a valid driver’s license, they had the opportunity to test drive a select number of Toyotas from their sport car to latest mini-SUV.

On Saturday night, the first concert of the convention had an amazing line up. ATEEZ was the opening act. It did not take long for the group to warm up the stage as they were just in Los Angeles seven months ago. Their powerful performances were filled with a masculine mix of sexy showmanship partnered with splendid vocals. They kept the crowd on its feet. The show continued with Kep1er, Lightsum, Cravity, and INI. Bebe Rexha made a guest appearance and performed “Break My Heart Myself” with Yeji and Ryujin of Itzy. When Itzy took the stage, they commanded your attention with their girl crush vibe and Itzy poise. As one of the veteran KCON groups, they filled the stage with leisure combined with their sharp choreography that screamed girl power. Stray Kids closed out the night in a splendid fashion with their high energy. If you blinked, you may have missed the details of their choreography. They did a great job covering the stage and gave the concert goers an additional spurt of adrenaline, not wanting the night to end.

ITZY Yeji & Ryujin with Bebe Rexha

Sunday night’s concert wrapped up the KCON 2022 LA weekend. The Boyz teased the crowd by giving them a taste of what was to come. P1Harmony followed and captured the audience with unshakable dancing. StayC, To1, NMixx, Loona and Cosmic Girls (WJSN) filled Crypto Stadium with excitement that would be difficult to extinguish as the show was coming to an end. The Boys took to the stage once again to quench the unfulfilled thirst from the beginning of the night. They did not disappoint and slayed with their solid vocals and charisma. NCT Dream wrapped up the 10th Anniversary weekend of KCON. Their ease on the stage showed their experience. It was easy to fall into their charms by getting entangled in their powerful yet fun performances. KCON’ners’ were left with mixed emotions as the show came to an end with lingering excitement and sadness as this was the period to the weekend.

Many will be keeping a close eye on KCONusa.com to see when KCON 2023 will be returning.

DREAM STAGE

The Boyz

LONDON’22

Written by Élodie Barbet Photographed by Soizic Cistac

The HallyuPopFest took place in London for the weekend of July 9 and 10, 2022. Previously, the show has already had editions in 2018 and 2019 in Singapore.

In addition to the concert, the festival presented the HallyuTown where it was possible to find various products ranging from travel bags, beauty products and temporary tattoos.

At 1 p.m. on both days, the artists marched on the red carpet to join the masters of

ceremonies: Nathan von Cho and Ariel

Ji In. For the occasion, all answered a few questions from the MCs and autographed CDs were offered to a lucky few.

Soloist Sam Kim, accompanied by his guitar, opens the festival with the calm “It’s You”, from his 2018 album “Sun And Moon”. He explains that he is happy to be back in England, he also introduced the keyboardist Simon Petren who assisted him.

He continues with the more rhythmic “These Walls” and “WHERE’S MY MONEY”, which get the audience moving and singing along to the choruses.

The artist returns with the romantic “Make Up”, before concluding with “Love Me Like That” which was used for the soundtrack of the drama “Nevertheless”. On this final set, the flashes of the smartphones were on, which gently concluded his stage.

SAM KIM

The audience applauds P1Harmony’s arrival with the combative “That’s It”. After a game, the members resume with the tracks “BOP” and “Follow Me”.

The show continues with a peaceful song, “If You Call Me”, before restarting with “SIREN”. They guide the audience to squat to better jump to their music.

The group explains that this is their first trip to London and were happy about it. The young men also thank the fans for coming.

They return with “Reset”, then with the aggressive “Scared” and the more disciplined “Do It Like This”. Through this performance, P1Harmony demonstrates its dance skills and impressive choreography.

P1HARMONY

ONEUS, who had been forced to cancel its visit to KPop.FLEX, started their stage with “Intro: Who Got the Joker?” This was also an opportunity for the public to catch the European premiere of “Bring It On”.

The sequence is done with the songs “LUNA” then “LIT” which highlight traditional South Korean sounds with fans as dance accessories. During “Life Is Beautiful”, the members stroll on stage and resume on the danceable “BLACK MIRROR” accompanied by smoke throws. They close on the piece with surprising sounds: “No diggity”. ONEUS definitely presented an interesting panel of their songs and performances.

EVERGLOW

EVERGLOW is the first female group of this festival. As soon as they enter with “Adios”, the public ignites and begins to dance. The aura of the girls hypnotizes the room during “LA DI DA” and “Bon Bon Chocolat”. During a short intermission, they have fun doing cute poses, which completely clashes with the image they send back since the beginning of their performance.

It is with their performance that the number of songs begins to decrease for artists. They brilliantly conclude with the rebellious “Pirate” which makes sparks, and finally their heady track “DUN DUN” for the greatest pleasure of the audience. EVERGLOW has had impeccable consistency during their various tracks, and the acclaim received is well deserved.

ASTRO creates surprise with the chosen tracks. Jin Jin & Rocky, in sexy outfits, join the stage on “Lock down” and “Just Breath”. They take the opportunity to charm the audience with their dance moves and humor. The group seems determined to highlight its subunits, because it’s Moon Bin & San Ha’s turn to take their place. Dressed in a more princely way, the two young men perform on the moving “Bad Idea” and “WHO”.

The song “Candy Sugar Pop” is joyful, but unfortunately, will be the only one ASTRO will perform as four. There’s a slight frustration that they haven’t seen enough, although their last performance was full of life.

HWASA

Hwasa, the charismatic member of MAMAMOO, gives us the pleasure of her arrival and kicks off her stage, accompanied by throws of sparks, with “twit”, which was a single from her solo debut. She continues with the quieter but rhythmic “I’m a B”. During her short break, she greets the audience on both sides of the room, then resumes with the ballad “Bless U”, letting us appreciate her vocal abilities.

Determined to create an unforgettable moment, she chooses to sing “happy birthday” to the attention of the few concerned in the crowd, then the show restarts slowly on “Nobody else” which accelerates. Obviously, no one could miss the performance of “Maria” both sensual and incredible. The soloist does not disappoint during her appearances, and we can only hope to see her again one day.

CHEN

After two years of military service, the young father is back and takes the opportunity to greet the European crowd. His arrival excited a lot of people, in view of the reactions of the audience during his songs. Beginning with the emotional “Shall We?”, Chen is accompanied by EXO’s lightsticks swinging around the room. When “My Dear” is performed, the audience chants his name and he replies, “It’s the first time I’ve seen you and it’s important”.

He grabbed attention again with “Beautiful goodbye”, from his first mini-album “April, and a flower”. Quite quickly, his scene ends on “Love words” and “Everytime” which was used for the famous drama Descendants of the Sun. All the people are under the spell and it is with sweetness that this first day ends.

The second day begins with Weeekly and the very dynamic song “Tag me”, which invites you to discover their dance skills followed by the track “Hello”. Then they performed short excerpts of songs such as BLACKPINK’s “How You Like That” and EXO’s “Ko Ko Bop”.

The group resumes with “After School” during which one of the members rides a skateboard. “Solar” has the same kind of vibe as the previous performances. It is with “Ven para”, their latest release, that the group begins to exude a more mature vibe.

PAUL KIM

The crowd is delighted to see Paul Kim, especially upon realization later on that his songs are known and appreciated by the public.

It begins with the joyous “Wanna Love You” but stops to chat a bit with the audience. During the flirty “Coffee With Me”, the charm operates and hundreds of arms in the room swing together.

He stops for a game during which the audience must choose the next pieces he will perform, which included

snippets from “Every Day, Every Moment” and “New Day”. Paul Kim voiced his thought that the crowd is so kind.

His setlist continues with “Hey” and “One More Time,” the latter of which was released in June this year on the mini-album “Star.” Then performs the full version of the sweet “Every Day, Every Moment”. The title “Me After You” is supported by the audience’s applause. His stage closed with “Goodbye Kiss” which was used for the drama Black Knight.

CRAVITY arrives with a swinging choreography, the excitement of the fans increases, which is ideal for “Adrenaline”. At the end of this song, the members reflect on the fact that they debuted during the pandemic, and as a result, they are happy to be in London for this show.

The performance continues with the fighter “VENI VIDI VICI” then the dark “Bad Habits”. The throwing flames make the room scream at the time of “Mammoth”. The performance ends with the tracks “Jumper” and “My Turn”. The group is applauded and leaves the stage, with final speech: “We love you! Thank you for this evening!”

Opening with “Hey!”, CIX sets the tone for the haunting “Jungle”. In the same style, “Movie Star” entertains the audience who begins to dance. During a short break, the audience can see that they are delighted to be in London for this festival.

The flash of the phones are on for the ballad “Everything”. Then “BAD DREAM” features excellent dance moves as well as the track “Cinema”. Before ending this moment on “20” and a throw of confetti, the members shared: “We would like to stay on stage forever”.

Kep1er were greeted with an enthusiastic audience during “WA DA DA” and “MVSK”. They explained during their intermission: “We are going to perform a song for the first time. We are going to teach you the movements.” And through this interaction, the audience followed the choreography of “See The Light”. After continuing with the magical “LE VOYA9E”, the members say, in turn, that they are happy to be in London. They concluded their stage with “Up!”, included in the mini-album “DOUBLAST”.

After finishing with epic sound, “Good Guy” suffered a false start due to a technical issue. It did not take long for the boys of SF9 to recover swiftly. The audience felt how the show is coming to an end when everyone in the crowd are up and hyped.

The group continue on the soft but dynamic “Tear Drop”. They take the time to share: “It’s an honor to be with you this evening”. The sensual “Now or Never” clearly seduces the room, but the next songs were much calmer. Without choreography, SF9 takes advantage of “Stop It Now”,

“Play Hard” and “Love Again” to greet the fans present, without failing to recall the release of the mini-album “THE WAY OF9”.

Kai opens his set with the sweet “Peaches” and “Vanilla”, with the same team of dancers as in May, which includes choreographer Lee Ba Da.

The audience rejoices when the first notes of “Reason” are released. The choreography is as always mastered and powerful, to the point of a dress accident. Due to a tear in his pants, Kai had to leave the stage for a few minutes to get changed and return for the upbeat “To Be Honest.”

The rhythmic sound “Hello Stranger” revives on a calm dance, enough to prepare EXO-L for the sexy “Mmmh”. It was with a delighted audience on their feet to dance that the HallyuPopFest came to an end.

These two days have been incredible. The performances of the artists were impeccable and all greatly applauded, for good reason! If the festival returns to Europe, we can definitely recommend you to attend.

KAI

MUSIC FESTIVAL in LONDON

Written by Lea Lempereur Photographed by Soizic Cistac

On August 30 and 31, 2022, the MIK Festival was held in Southwark Park in London.

During this event, 16 groups and soloists were expected. Billlie had to cancel their participation due to Su hyeon and Si Yoon’s positive Covid-19 test result. Many merchandise and foodwere presented and distributed all around the festival grounds.

For this first day, we had the pleasure to see K-Pop artists like HOLLAND, Cherry Bullet, Golden Child, CHUNGHA, VIVIZ, Pentagon, SUHO and Red Velvet.

HOLLAND opens this festival with his song ‘I’m So Afraid’ and finishes

with his first song ‘Neverland’. At the end of his performance, Holland came to meet his fans within the Golden Circle.

Cherry Bullet, the youngest group of FNC Entertainment, started their performance with their debut song ‘Q&A’ to finish with their last song ‘Love In Space’.

Golden Child, without TAG and Daeyeol, were able to surprise their fans with a first performance, mixing three of their songs, ‘Wannabe’, ‘Without You’ and ‘One (Lucid Dream)’. With their fans, they wished a happy birthday to Y and Joo Chan whose birthday was the next day.

Red Velvet Irene

Soloist CHUNGHA, with her dancers, performed her greatest hits such as ‘Snapping’ or more recently ‘Sparkling’ passing by ‘Gotta Go’ or ‘California Dream’.

The youngest group of this festival VIVIZ, formed by three former members of GFRIEND, delighted their fans by presenting performances of the current group as well as their period as GFRIEND. The girls sang their new songs ‘LOVEADE’ and ‘BOP BOP!’.

PENTAGON, without Hui and Yanan, showed us their talents on stage and sang many titles from their debut to their latest comeback: ‘Feelin’ Like’. The audience was also able to dance to ‘Shine’, their most popular music.

This first day ended with SM Entertainment’s artists. EXO’s leader, SUHO, came to perform several songs from his solo albums as well as two covers, include ‘Let It Be’ of BEATLES. He played music for us in a band style and without dancing.

To end this day, the British public had the honor of seeing the group Red Velvet perform many songs as well as ‘Bad Boy’ in English or ‘Queendom’. Sadly, Joy was absent from the festival, but the girls were greats!Red Velvet Wendy

CHILD

The second festival’s day centered on HipHop artists, we had the opportunity to see pH-1, DOK2, Jessi, Epik High, LeeHi, Gray, Loco and Jay Park and collaborations between several artists. This day was the most anticipated of the weekend by the fans. It began with the power of the rapper pH-1, it was his second visit to London, after coming for the first time with Jay Park. The rapper set a mood that got a lot of people dancing to kick off the day with ‘Malibu’ and ‘Like me’. He even came to meet the public to distribute 5 signed albums.

DOK2 arrived with producer Puffy Santana, who stayed to perform with him during all performances, during songs selection: ‘Don’ or ‘YGGR’ (of ILLIONAIRE RECORDS). Just like their predecessor, they distributed, not albums, but socks to their public.

Another anticipated artists, Jessi, spent a long time chatting and interacting with her fans. So she performed less sound but it wasn’t less entertaining than the other artists. She interpreted some popular music like ‘Gucci’ or the more recently ‘ZOOM’.

Epik High were the oldest group present, having started in 2001, this trio managed to set the audience on fire. Their presentation of the members was also very well done, combining humor and epic music like ‘Rosario’ or ‘Face ID’, leaving none of their members aside. They

finished their passage by sending an autographed T-Shirt a few seconds earlier, which ended up in the control room to be returned to the public.

The first artist on the AOMG label was Lee Hi. Her performances were of a different style, much calmer than its predecessors with her tracks ‘Rose’ and ‘1,2,3,4’. However, she still performed music that includes rap parts despite an absence of these.

Gray, another AOMG’s artist, alternated quieter music with music that had his audience jumping. The latter moved a lot on the big stage allowing all the fans to see him. He performed ‘TMI’ and ‘I Don’t Love You’.

Just before the grand finale, the third artist of AOMG, Loco, also came to present music, remaining mainly on the advanced stage. He ended his performing ‘Party for the Night’ with Lee Hi and Gray, then ‘119’ and ‘No Manners’ with Gray.

To close these two days of the festival, we were able to see Jay Park, the most anticipated artist of this festival, accompanied by dancers to perform stages that made the whole audience scream. He was also joined by pH-1 to perform ‘Iffy’ and ‘The Purge’.

To end this festival in style, all the artists of the AOMG Label met on stage to make a final with the music ‘Who You’ in Remix version.

jessi ZOOM IN MANILA

J ZOOM IN MANILA

Written by Erlynne Jane Tan Photographed by Lilian Calulot

essi, or Jessica Ho, is a Korean-American rapper and singer who has been in the industry since December 1, 2005. She was the first artist to be signed in Psy’s company, P NATION up until recently when the company announced that Jessi has decided to part ways with the company as her contract expired. There was no bad blood between Jessi and P NATION as both wished the best for each other.

Jessi is well known for her appearance on the first season of Unpretty Rapstar, where she finished second at the end of the show. It is where her infamous quote, “We are not a team. This is a competition”, came from. This quote was so famous, it was often used by other idols during games to assert their competitiveness in playful way.

ZOOM IN MANILAZOOM IN MANILA

Aside from Unpretty Rapstar, where everyone saw her strong personality and her talent as a rapper, she was casted in Sister’s Slam Dunk in 2017. The was a mix between a reality show and a documentary show, wherein the cast were focused on fulfilling tasks to ultimately grant a dream for each member. Jessi’s was to spend some time with her parents, whom she has not seen for a very long time ever since her move to Korea. In this show, Jessi’s softer, more emotional side was seen during her reunion with her parents.

As a rapper, she was always seen as a person with a strong personality, throwing disses, writing, and rapping strong lyrics. But as she did more shows, her playful side surfaced. The more an artist show their different emotions to their fans, the stronger their bond will be. As a fan, to know your idol like that, knowing them when they are sad, happy, or anything in between,

is such a privilege. And that is exactly how everyone felt during Jessi’s concert last September 30.

Zoom in Manila was Jessi’s first ever solo concert held at the Mall of Asia Arena in the Philippines and Filo Jebbies saw to it that the concert will be one for the books. It was the most genuine show, no pretenses at all, that we have seen. The night was filled with so much emotion but everyone left the venue smiling. Even if the show was delayed, it just made the show even worth the wait.

Fans had time to hype each other up by jamming to Jessi’s songs, taking photos, while waiting for the other fans to come in and enter the venue. The arena was loud even before the show started.

Jessi opened the show with one of her popular songs, What Type of X. This song was the perfect first song with that “I’m a different type of beast” intro. The choreography of the song is just as

catchy as its beat. People got addicted to that side-to-side head bopping while leaned back hook choreography. This was quickly followed by Don’t Touch Me, a release of Jessi, Lee Hyori, Uhm Junghwa and Mamamoo’s Hwasa under the project girl group, Refund Sisters.

After the two songs, Jessi was met with Filo Jebbies’ thunderous cheers. The cheers made Jessi emotional, holding back her tears all throughout the show. Every time Jessi turned her back on the audience to wipe tears, her fans just cheered on her more which made the whole evening really just about fans showing love to their idol more so when their idols are at their most vulnerable state.

Put it on ya and Ganji were next on the setlist with Jessi even giving a shout out to her former CEO, Psy. She then performed Numb next, saying that it was her first time performing the song live. Numb was one of the songs released under her Nuna album released on 2020. Its one of her slowed down songs talking about throwing up all emotions.

It is such a simple song with an all-English lyric but this is one of her songs that shows how flexible Jessi can be when it comes to song genres.

Throughout the concert, Jessi would always insert life advice for her fans. Before performing Arrived, she said to just go through what life brings you, to realize who your people are. While with Boing, she explained that the song really did not particularly mean anything. She just reminded everyone that wherever they go, they need to let everyone know they are there. This might be one of Jessi’s traits, with her kind of presence, you will feel her aura from across the room.

Before performing Gucci, Jessi shared a background story of the song. The company, where she worked for during the release of the album, did not agree with the song. The company refused to release it because, according to them, it sounded a bit ghetto and that they really did not get what the it was about. But Jessi did not care and released the song any way as the album UN2VERSE’s title track.

The show continued with Who Dat B and Down. Jessi asked the crowd to let it slide if ever she messed up the choreography of Down because it was too squatty making her legs hurt after the rehearsals the night before. She also asked the crowd to twerk with her. Also, giving a quick shout out to Honey J who did the choreography of the song.

A Filipino team of dancers called A-Team joined Jessi on the stage for the songs Spirit Animal, Wet, and Drip, not forgetting to mention how talented Filipinos are. The team also had a quick performance while Jessi went backstage to get ready for the next set.

Jessi appeared again on stage wearing a vibrant, yellow, mesh outfit for the next set. But before performing again, a video was of Jessi as a young girl played. She was so adorable but still had that angst as one part of the video was her shouting “YAAAH”. It brought a wave of nostalgia in the venue, even so when she started to sing Star. Jessi can’t help but tear up while singing for the

song is a story of her journey as an artist. She was met with a fan project where in fans light up pink lights using the flashes of their phones and sang to the song. This, again, made Jessi tear up. It was such a beautiful ocean of lights and the surprise on Jessi’s face said it all, that the fan project was a success.

Another surprise, was of course, a video of fan messages, a must for every concert. It was a compilation of videos of Jebbies saying encouraging words and just showing their love for her. An even more touching surprise was the messages from Jessi’s close friends and mom. Her mom also thanked her fans for the never-ending love and support for her daughter.

Wiping away the tears and asking fans, jokingly, not to make her cry because she needs to sing, Jessi performed Cold blooded next. She also said, that she is not really cold blooded but she is sometimes given how hard the industry can be. She also goes on urging her fans to always have a voice.

The concert would not be called Zoom

In Manila if Jessi did not perform her hit song Zoom. This song took over social media sites with its simple but catchy lyrics and choreography. Jessi performed the hit song with a little bit of remix in the intro. Everyone in the arena was singing along to the song especially during the chorus. She then explains that she wrote this song to remind people to always take photos. This may be the reason why she let everyone use their phones to take videos and photos of the concert and even during the soundcheck.

Ending the concert was Nunu nana which started with Jessi teaching her fans how to properly sing the chorus with the right amount of angst and Filo Jebbies being good sports, the last song rocked out the whole arena. The song started out with sultry piano accompaniment then proceeded to a band version of the song. The perfect arrangement to rock out to.

And when everyone thought that since the last song was over, Jessi would go straight backstage and that was it for the night. But, it wasn’t. Jessi went down the stage and showered her fans with a top tier fan service. She went down to the barricade, where VIP fans were, took pictures with them and gave them hugs as she made her way to the backstage. Those lucky Jebbies definitely have memories to last a lifetime.

Jessi’s first ever concert was so emotional, not just because Jessi was either tearyeyed throughout the concert or was constantly trying to hold back her tears, but the fact that she opened up to her fans during that night. She was giving away life lessons that she learned from her 18year experience in the industry while her fans showed just how much they love her with how loud they cheered for her and sang with her. Hoping Jessi will come back again and again to the Philippines.

TheinHammingtons Juanderland

Written & Photographed by Lilian Calulot FANMEETING IN MANILAFANMEETING IN MANILA

For the first time, Sam, William, and Bentley met their Filipino fans at The Hammingtons in Juanderland: Fanmeeting in Manila held last July 17 at the New Frontier Theater.

The trio rose to fame in 2016 when they joined the roster for “The Return of Superman,” a South Korean reality show featuring celebrity dads and their children.

Sam is a New Zealander-Australian comedian who gained stardom in the reality show “Real Men.” In 2013, he won the “Best Male Newcomer” award for his amazing performance on the show.

Despite their packed schedule, The Hammingtons conveyed how excited they were to be in Manila. They were warmly welcomed by the audience the moment they stepped on stage.

During the first segment called “Kumustahan”, the host asked questions about how the Hammingtons have been. Earlier this year, the family decided to step down from “The Return of Superman” to pursue other opportunities. One of which is “Wilbengers: Suspicious Camping Commotion,” an animated superhero film starring William and Bentley, together with their dad. The family also recently launched their new variety show titled “The Hammingtons’ Dream Closet” which airs on the ENA channel.

Sam conveyed his heartfelt appreciation to their Filipino fans who had been with them since the beginning and stated that the fanmeet was a great opportunity to personally show their gratitude for all the support they have received throughout the years.

Afterwards, the kids showed their competitiveness in playing the newspaper dance game which were joined by two lucky fans from the audience. The kids also seemed to enjoy the air hockey wherein they played extra rounds that were sure to amuse the fans.

After a short break, the three returned to the stage wearing the traditional Filipino clothes they received during the first segment, a barong for Sam and camisa de chino for the kids.

The trio tried various Filipino delicacies, including champorado, banana cue, lechon, and adobo. Sam and William both described

adobo as their favorite; the latter even adorably shouted “amazing!” when he first tasted it.

Another segment that surely delighted the crowd was when the trio were asked to pronounce some Filipino words such as ‘pogi’ (handsome). Bentley shouting at the top of his lungs ‘Makulit ako’ (I’m naughty/playful).

William and Bentley also played a game where they shopped for snacks at a “Kiddie Treats” store resembling a sari-sari store. Then the trio surprised the audience with exclusive gifts. They gave cute green beanies to selected fans that, Sam said, “you cannot get anywhere in the world.”

As the event came to a close, Sam could not help but become emotional in front of the fans. And the fans surely felt his sincere gratitude. It was indeed a memorable night full of fun and laughter to everyone involved.

TheinHammingtons Juanderland

Fanmeeting in Manila

K-WAVE TRAILBLAZER KIM HYUN JOONG USA CONCERT TOUR

Singer and actor Kim Hyun-Joong is set to conquer the US stage with a concert tour. Spanning three cities, “22/23 Kim Hyun-Joong World Tour in USA” is happening this November in New York, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles.

Despite being only 36 years old, Hyun-Joong has built an illustrious career that spans decades. He earned his first big break in the 2009 K-Drama “Boys Over Flowers,” playing the character of musical genius “Ji-hoo.”

This move launched Hyun-Joong’s career into global stardom as the series caught the attention of local and international viewers. This was right at the time Korean pop culture started gaining traction in the west, making Hyun-Joong and the other “Boys Over Flowers” actors leaders of the “Korean wave.”

Not long after, the multi-talented artist became the face of numerous brands and took home multiple acting awards. Having sung one of the drama’s official soundtracks, Hyun-Joong also bagged several musical commendations including the coveted “Song of the Year” award.

The drama is so popular that a US adaptation was released in 2013 titled, “Boys Before Friends.” Fast forward to the 2020s, it still makes it into listicles. ELLE US, for example, names it one of “The 10 Best K-Dramas To Binge-Watch On Netflix” alongside more recently released dramas.

Much like “Boys Over Flowers,” HyunJoong became a household name in the American K-wave phenomenon. The success of “Ji-hoo” allowed him to act in several other dramas like “Playful Kiss” (another classic) and release solo albums at the same time. All of these endeavors proved fruitful and added to his long list of hit shows and chart-topping songs.

With travel borders now open for guests once again, Hyun-Joong is wasting no time and wants to meet his fans in America. Experience the prowess of this K-wave icon live at 22/23 Kim Hyun-Joong World Tour in USA.

22/23 Kim Hyun-Joong World Tour in USA is presented by Berce Enterprises, CDM Entertainment, and Amor Yu Productions, in partnership with Henecia and Hanshin Entertainment.

F will astonish fans with stunning performances from their flurry of EPs after they debuted in 2021, while Viviz scooped Best Female Rookie at the 2022 Brand Of The Year Awards earlier this year.

ollowing an incredible inaugural event in Frankfurt, K.FLEX is heading to London on 20th November 2022 for a star-studded mega concert at the world’s most popular music, leisure and entertainment venue, The O2.

Headlining the show, Billboard World Album Chart-toppers Winner will bring their dazzling performance to The O2, in what’s set to be the Korean boyband’s first time performing in the UK/Europe. They will also be joined by quartet AB6IX, who ignited the stadium at K.FLEX’s inaugural festival, and are on track to become one of K-pop’s brightest new stars. Also joining the lineup are nine-piece Pentagon, who were nominated for Best Korean Act at the MTV Europe Music Awards in 2018, and rookie groups Weeekly and Younite. Another rookie group, Billlie,

Organised by Live Company Group and Seoul based SG2, the show promises to be an unforgettable night, showcasing the talents of the fastest-growing music market in the world. With a rocketing global fanbase, K.FLEX aims to become the central meeting point of K-pop fans worldwide, celebrating rookie groups alongside better known stars.

K.FLEX, formerly known as KPOP.FLEX, is also taking place in Frankfurt at Deutsche Bank Park Stadium on June 17-18, 2023 and returning to London’s The O2 on September 22-24, 2023.

HALLYU’S GLOBAL STATUS EVIDENT DURING FASHION WEEK

Written by Lilian Calulot

NCT Jeno Jung Ho Yeon

The recently concluded Fashion Week from New York to Paris displayed the global status of Hallyu. From actors to idols, Korean celebrities certainly dominated the front row seats of various shows.

NCT Jeno made his runway debut at designer Peter Do’s New York Fashion Show. Jung Ho Yeon returned to her roots as she strutted down the runway during the Louis Vuitton Womenswear SS23 show in Paris.

Buzz surrounded the brand ambassadors in attendance such as ASTRO Cha Eun Woo and BLACKPINK Jisoo at the DIOR SS23 Show. Balenciaga’s first Korean ambassador, Han So Hee, wowed everyone with her elegant yet sultry look.

Sandara Park without doubt flaunted her versatile fashion style as she attended various shows in Paris including Chloé, Giambattista Valli, Rick Owens, Courréges, Vivienne Westwood, Balmain, and Christian Louboutin.

Blackpink Rosé at the Saint Laurent SS23 Show in Paris

Han So Hee at the Balenciaga SS23 Show in Paris

Sandara Park at Balmain Show in Paris

Lee Sung Kyung with Eric Chou at Moncler’s 70th Anniversary Show in Milan

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