KCON LA 2025 was held from the 1st to the 3rd at Crypto.com Arena and LA Convention Center in Los Angeles, USA.
A total of 34 artists performed, creating a diverse lineup of stages. Among them, the ‘X STAGE’ was a platform to introduce rookie artists. CJ ENM promoted the event as a platform to introduce emerging artists and talented artists across various genres, but the planning behind it required significant costs. The agency had to cover all expenses for staff, including airfare, accommodation, rental fees, and even meals. Based on a group of 20 people, including members, nearly 100 million won was paid to perform on the KCON stage. Additionally, the fact that meals were not provided has sparked outrage. CJ ENM clarified that “meals were provided on-site,” but this implies that idols with free schedules had to go to the performance venue to eat.
A staff member present at the venue told My Daily, “We were already aware that we had to pay for airfare and accommodation before departure, but upon arrival, we were surprised to find that meals were not properly provided and we also had to pay for rental fees.”
Additionally, idols who performed on the main stage linked to “M Countdown” had their accommodation and airfare covered by CJ ENM. However, they also did not receive any guarantees. The main stage accepted paying audiences but did not provide guarantees, instead covering airfare and accommodation costs. Even though airfare and accommodation were supported, the travel expenses for hair, makeup, and styling staff were the responsibility of the agencies. The so-called “hair-makeup staff” costs were not as generous as before, resulting in agencies incurring losses of tens of millions of won.
A representative from CJ ENM KCON stated on the same day, “In addition to providing free performance opportunities, we are inviting local music industry professionals and offering networking and promotional opportunities. The stage content is digitally exposed through various channels such as YouTube and Mnet Plus, and it provides an opportunity to communicate closely with fans on-site. Participating artists are selected based on these considerations and the voluntary decision of their agencies.”
Recently, there has been a significant increase in overseas performances by K-pop omnibus groups. While many cases offer minimal guarantees, basic expenses such as airfare, accommodation, and meals are typically covered. However, KCON has been exploiting artists under the guise of a grand opportunity, claiming to “introduce diverse Korean culture and the global status of K-pop, as well as serve as a gateway for new artists to enter the overseas market and a platform for small and medium-sized agencies to expand globally.”
On the other hand, there are also reactions like, “Didn’t they go because they wanted to?” Since they weren’t forced to go to KCON, they had a choice, and it was the agency’s decision to go even if they had to pay the costs. Another source bitterly remarked, “There are many teams that couldn’t go even though they had to pay a lot of money. Some people couldn’t even enjoy that opportunity.”
1. Are they thugs?