KCON JAPAN 2025 draws 50,000 with full K-culture experience

K-pop fans visit the Olive Young booth at KCON JAPAN 2025 at Makuhari Messe convention center near Tokyo, Japan, Sunday. Korea Times photo by Kim Se-jeong

By Kim Se-jeong

• Published May 12, 2025 11:46 AM KST
• Updated May 12, 2025 4:49 PM KST

TOKYO — At the Makuhari Messe convention center just outside Tokyo Sunday, a crowd of nearly 50,000 visitors gathered to sample Korean food and beauty products.

The venue hosted the 36th edition of KCON, the world’s largest K-pop festival and convention, over the weekend in Japan. The three-day event offered much more than just a K-pop concert — it provided fans with a full Korean cultural experience.

Among the highlights was a booth area where Japanese fans could explore Korea through food and beauty. Olive Young, Korea’s leading beauty retailer, drew long lines, with fans sampling skincare and makeup products — especially from its Colorgram brand, currently endorsed by K-pop group ZeroBaseOne. Many attendees carried reusable bags bearing the Olive Young logo.

Rin, 21, a Japanese fan who came to see ZeroBaseOne, also stopped by the Olive Young booth. “I use their (Korean) skincare products. I like them,” she told The Korea Times in English.

Other major Korean brands such as Samyang Foods, Nongshim and CJ Foodville also hosted booths, appealing to fans’ senses. At the food court, visitors enjoyed everything from ramyeon (instant noodles) and tteokbokki (spicy simmered rice cakes) to bingsu (shaved ice) and Korean-Japanese fusion dishes.

Culture Minister Yu In-chon visited the event on Sunday and toured the booths ahead of the concert.

"I witnessed the enthusiasm and affection Japanese fans have for Korean culture. It’s the result of years of building trust and consistent engagement,” he said.

Yu’s visit was part of his trip to Japan, which also includes attending Korea Day at the Osaka Expo on Tuesday.

Park Chang-uk, vice president of CJ ENM’s live entertainment division, noted both the scale of the festival and the wide variety of booths on site.

“Japan is the most important market for K-pop and we’re launching new initiatives to keep Japanese fans engaged,” Park said.

When asked about the secret to K-pop’s success in Japan, Park pointed to frequency and familiarity.

“Many K-pop artists come to Japan to perform. Now we’re also seeing more Japanese members in K-pop groups. Instead of feeling new or foreign, K-pop feels close and familiar to Japanese audiences,” he said.

The three-day event concluded with a two-hour concert, "M Countdown Stage," featuring some of K-pop’s popular rising acts, including ZeroBaseOne, TWS, Highlight and Cravity.

The concert also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Mnet, a flagship music channel under entertainment giant CJ ENM, which has played a key role in launching rookie idols’ careers.

The crowd — mainly female young adults — filled the venue with excited cheers, many waving KCON’s signature flower-shaped light sticks. The loudest screams were for ZeroBaseOne, whose leader Sung Han-bin co-hosted the concert alongside Bang Jee-min from girl group Izna.

Veteran group Highlight — formerly known as Beast — won over fans with polished live performances and engaging fan interactions.

Seok Matthew and Park Gun-wook of ZeroBaseOne performed “BACK PACKER,” the original soundtrack from Tving’s drama series "Study Group."

Girl groups also captivated the audience with their youthful energy and choreography. Among them was KiiiKiii, a five-member rookie group and the youngest act in the lineup, which released its debut album in February.

Hidy, 23, a Chinese student living in Japan, said she came to see TWS. “I’m happy I could attend the concert while studying here,” she said.