KCON 2016 kicks off 3-day journey in LA

LOS ANGELES, July 29 (Yonhap) -- The annul KCON Korean pop culture festival kicked off its three-day run in downtown Los Angeles Friday, set to bring together some 70,000 foreign fans for first-hand experiences of all things Korean.

KCON 2016 LA, in its fifth year since the festival was launched 2012 by South Korean entertainment giant CJ E&M, will run from Friday to Sunday in the city's Convention Center and the Staples Center.

The event will mainly be twofold. A host of popular Korean musicians will perform in the 'M Countdown' concert while a separate event will showcase Korean entertainment content and other commercial products, according to event organizers.

The two-day concert will feature performances of project girl group I.O.I as well as seven-member boy band Block B, Girl Friend, Shinee and Turbo on Saturday.

On the second day, TaeTiSeo, a three-member subunit of Girls' Generation, seven-member boy group BTS, also known as Bangtan Boys, Eric Nam, Davichi and Twice will hit the stage.

An exposition will be running all through the three-day run, where popular Korean products ranging from cosmetics, fashion items and cultural contents to medical goods will be up for sale.

Actor Lee Min-ho, who is known for his lead role in "Boys Over Flowers" and "The Heirs," will grace the LA exposition event with a special appearance.

An overnight food street will be set up nearby, giving concert-goers access to more than 50 different kinds of Korean dishes. Other sub-events will also provide opportunities for first-hand experiences with Korean beauty trends and Korean e-sports, according to the organizer.

Since the first KCON was held in Irvine, California, in October 2012, the annual concert has expanded to other global cities.

This year, KCON 2016 has so far been held in Abu Dhabi, Tokyo, Paris and New York.

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