K-Culture Night at the Academy Museum with KCON
Academy Museum Foundation // Scott Garrison
Korean culture has experienced a surge in Western media, particularly in the entertainment sector, over the past decade. There have been a few cultural staples that have made an impact on American media, including the Academy Award-winning film Parasite and Netflix’s Squid Game. K-pop has also experienced a boost in the music industry, with acts like BTS and BLACKPINK dominating the airwaves, as well as many more Korean-based groups entering the scene.
On Thursday evening at the David Geffen Theater, the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures partnered with Korean entertainment giant CJ Entertainment to host K-Culture Night to mark CJ’s 30th anniversary and the 13th edition of the KCON fan festival in downtown Los Angeles.
Kicking off the weekend of KCON, the annual convention for all things Korean culture and entertainment, featured a wide range of Korean celebrities, performances, and creatives, alongside many fans of K-pop and K-dramas. Korean American singer/actor Eric Nam was the MC for the evening’s event. Korean actor and singer Yim Si-wan (Squid Game) did a special Q&A, with performances by professional dancer and Stage Fighter winner CHOIHOJONG, J-Pop’s IS:SUE, Korean rapper Lee Young Ji, and K-pop sensations P1Harmony.
There were many memorable moments from the event, and we highlighted the ones that stood out the most!
Highlights from K-Culture Night At The Academy Museum With KCON
CHOIHOJONG // K-Culture Night at the Academy Museum with KCON
Academy Museum Foundation // Scott Garrison
CHOIHOJONG’s Parasite Dance Performance
Professional dancer CHOIHOJONG opened the show with a moving stage performance interpreting the story of Bong Joon Ho’s award-winning film, Parasite. He beautifully interpreted the anger and desperation that the film’s characters exude and the eventual fall from grace. CHOIHOJONG told the audience, “.The original piece draws inspiration from the villain from Parasite, where I take on the law of an underclass character. Since we are here at the Academy Museum, surrounded by so many parents of the film industry, this world [seemed like]
the perfect occasion to engage with the piece [and] to make the performance more meaningful for this audience. I imagined the choreography through the eyes [of the] Butler (Song Kang-ho), a quiet observer who dares to dream of lighting up and breaking free from the constraints of the class system.”
During the performance, it was as if CHOIHOJONG had no bones and flowed on the stage like water. It was breathtaking. Nam commented that he felt his body in pain watching the dancer easily contort his body effortlessly to tell the story.
IS:SUE // K-Culture Night at the Academy Museum with KCON
Academy Museum Foundation // Scott Garrison
Nam hilariously forgot there was no interpreter for IS:SUE
The event felt so warm and casual that when the bilingual host began conversing with the J-pop group (who were trained under the K-Pop training system) in Korean, he forgot that not everyone in the audience understood Korean. The audience laughed as he realized it and began interpreting their answers.
IS:SUE’s cover of BLACKPINK’s “Pink Venom”
After performing the Korean version of their song, “Shining,” the trio – Nano, Yuuki, and Rino– wanted to celebrate and pay tribute to their beloved seniors, BLACKPINK, with their song, “Pink Venom.” The girls, who debuted last year, were so talented and lively that the audience began singing along, giving the group even more energy and excitement to perform at KCON on Saturday and Sunday.
Rapper Lee Young Ji’s electric performance
Many fans of Korean entertainment will recognize Lee Young Ji as more than just her music – she’s a charismatic entertainer with her own popular YouTube series, Not Much Prepared, and collaborations with famous K-pop idols. She is always surprised when people call her an idol, which she doesn’t identify with, but willingly accepts because she loves the idea of being idolized. Her interactions with Nam, the audience, and even her reaction to seeing actor Lee Byung-hun in the audience were so authentic and endearing. It’s no wonder she was chosen for this performance, as she is part of the next generation of beloved Korean entertainers being introduced to a Western audience. She thanked the audience for their support and expressed her interest in someday running for president of South Korea one day, and we wouldn’t be surprised as her charms have worked on us.
Eric Nam, Yim Siwan, Hyesung ii // K-Culture Night at the Academy Museum with KCON
Academy Museum Foundation // Scott Garrison
Yim Si-wan’s hysterical interview
Dressed subtly in his Squid Game character’s white tuxedo, Yim was having fun with his intimate interview with Nam and Academy Associate Director of Film Programs, Hyesung ii. The Korean singer-turned-actor has been a rising star in Korea since his acting debut in 2012, and received numerous awards for his role in 2014’s Misaeng: Incomplete Life. The director for Misaeng, Kim Won-seok, was in the audience, which prompted Yim to praise and convince Kim to have another sequel throughout the night.
The conversation also led to Yim’s dinner experience with fellow Squid Game costar Lee Byung-hun, who was present in the audience. Yim said he politely told Lee that he would visit his home one day – and then showed up. “He first thought I was being polite, saying I would visit his home SOME DAY, but I showed up,” says Yim. “[Lee] was totally baffled. After that, no one invites me over – even as a joke.”
P1Harmony // K-Culture Night at the Academy Museum with KCON
Academy Museum Foundation // Scott Garrison
P1Harmony’s Explosive and Crowd-Pleasing Performance
The night concluded with a powerful performance by the K-pop powerhouse group P1Harmony – Keeho, Theo, Jiung, Intak, Soul, and Jongseob. Dressed in their finest dressy attire, the group opened with their hit song, “DUH!,” followed by an exceptional performance of BTS’s “Fire”, which they performed at last year’s KCON Special Stage.
Nam, who is friends with the group, welcomed them to the stage of the Academy Museum as they represented the next generation of K-pop groups. Jiung expressed his excitement about being there and worked hard on their performance.
As the group performed their last song, “Last Call,” they went into the audience, causing an uproar of cheers and many dancing in their seats. The group completed fans’ heart hands and took many photos and videos with fans during their set. The energy from their performance was palpable and was the perfect way to end the night.
K-Culture at the Academy Museum was the perfect opening for the fun and busy KCON weekend. KCON is taking place this weekend, from Friday to Sunday, at the Los Angeles Convention Center. For more information, click here.
