Squid Game Stars Coming to KCON LA

 Acclaimed Actors Byung Hun Lee, YIM Siwan to Make Special Cameo at KCON LA 2025

• K-Movie Stars Byung Hun Lee, YIM Siwan Imbue KCON LA 2025 with Added Starpower and Widen Spectrum of K-Culture Celebration
• YIM to Attend “K-CULTURE NIGHT at Academy Museum with KCON” Event Taking Place on July 31 at David Geffen Theater  – Fastest Ever Sold-out Public Event at Academy Museum

 

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - July 22, 2025 — KCON LA 2025, the world’s largest K-POP Fan and Artist Festival, today announced that acclaimed actors Byung Hun Lee and  YIM Siwan will make special appearances on the first day of this year’s event. The star-studded KCON LA 2025, presented by title sponsor Olive Young, South Korea’s leading beauty and health retailer, will take place for three days from Aug 1-3, 2025 at the Los Angeles Convention Center and  Crypto.com Arena. 

 

This marks the first time for KCON LA feature both Byung Hun Lee, the prolific and versatile actor widely known as the frontman of Squid Game who also voice-acted Gwima in K-Pop Demon Hunters  and stars in Director Park Chan-wook’s next feature film No Other Choice and YIM Siwan, the K-pop idol-turned-actor who rose to stardom for K-dramaMisaeng:Incomplete Life and also starred in Squid Game.The renowned actors will appear on the M COUNTDOWN on August 1, presenting a memorable moment for global fans and reflecting KCON’s commitment to creating special connections between artists and fans. 

 

YIM will also attend “K-CULTURE NIGHT at Academy Museum with KCON” on July 31 at the David Geffen Theater at the Academy Museum in Los Angeles. In celebration of KCON’s 13th anniversary and growing global cultural successes of K-content, this special cultural event, emceed by multifaceted Korean American entertainer Eric Nam, will feature a star-studded roster of Korean celebrities including dancer and choreographer CHOIHOJONG, K-pop stars LEE YOUNGJI and P1Harmony, global Japanese girl group IS:SUE. In a testament to the tremendous global popularity of K-content among global fans, the event sold out within 2 hours after the announcement, becoming the fastest ever sold-out public event at the Academy Museum. 

 

YIM will participate in a special talk session highlighting his filmography and successful transition from K-pop idol to actor. Ahead of the event, he shared his excitement saying he is “working hard to prepare meaningful discussions about K-Culture and create unforgettable memories together.” On top of that, CHOIHOJONG, who earned the moniker of ‘icon of K-dance,’ will showcase a creative dance performance set to the soundtrack of Director Bong Joon Ho’s film Parasite, offering a fresh interpretation of the work and bringing its cinematic emotions to the stage through the unique language of dance. 

 

The event comes as part of the company’s partnership with the Academy Museum. In March 2025, the two partners inked the three-year partnership in a bid to elevate the presence of not just Korean, but also other Asian films and talent in Hollywood. For the partnership's first initiative, CJ ENM supported Director Bong Joon Ho's exhibitionDirector's Inspiration: Bong Joon Ho – the first museum exhibition dedicated to the internationally acclaimed, Oscar®–winning film director – which opened on March 23, 2025, as well as the accompanying film screening series.

KCON LA 2025 combines world-class K-pop show production with a dynamic convention experience. The FESTIVAL GROUNDS will feature immersive booths showcasing K-culture elements including K-beauty and K-food. Each evening will showcase the M COUNTDOWN  with performances from top-tier acts and emerging artists.

 

YIM will also visit the ‘K-CONTENT BY CJ ENM’ exhibition zone on the first day of KCON LA 202 at the FESTIVAL GROUNDS, where attendees can explore diverse content and displays of K-movies and  some of the newest K-Dramas such as Dear X and Law and The City. 

 

KCON began in the United States in 2012 and has since been held in Japan, Hong Kong, Germany, United Arab Emirates, France, Mexico, Australia, Thailand, and Saudi Arabia. In 2024, KCON LA wrapped up with another phenomenal year, attracting over 5.9 million fans from more than 170 countries for KCON LA 2024 both at the festival site and through digital platforms. KCON also made U.S. history with the first-ever national primetime broadcast of a K-pop show with The CW Network’s live broadcast of the show. Tickets for KCON LA 2025 are currently available through AXS.

 

 

About CJ ENM

CJ ENM is a leading entertainment company founded in Korea in 1995. Celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2025, CJ ENM's entertainment division has been continuously shaping the next chapter of K-culture within the global entertainment industry, spanning media content, music, film, and performing arts. CJ ENM has created, produced and distributed globally-acclaimed content, including Oscar-winning filmParasite, Tony Award-winning musicals such as Kinky Boots, hit TV series such as Queen of Tears, globally successful music competition show I Can See Your Voice and more. CJ ENM is further pursuing opportunities to develop talent such as leading K-pop 5th generation boygroup ZEROBASEONE. United under the slogan We live to discover Untold Originals, CJ ENM has three major production and distribution studios: a drama production powerhouse Studio Dragon, U.S.-based studio Fifth Season, and K-OTT content production studio CJ ENM STUDIOS. It also operates Korea’s leading online streaming platform, TVING. CJ ENM also presents KCON, world’s largest K-POP Fan & Artist Festival, and MAMA AWARDS, world's No.1 K-POP awards, in order to bring K-culture experiences to people all over the world. To learn more about CJ ENM, please visit: http://www.cjenm.com

 

About KCON

KCON is the world's No.1 K-POP Fan & Artist festival celebrating Korean culture and music. Since launching in 2012, it has been leading the expansion of K-culture across the globe for 13 years and broadened its reach, going from 10,000 attendees in its first year to garnering over 5.9 million fans from more than 170 countries for KCON LA 2024 both on-site and online through digital platforms. KCON has established its footing as a flagship event, holding events across Asia, the Middle East, Europe and Latin America and has been providing the largest forum for fans to directly connect with each other, artists and professionals from the Korean entertainment industry.