A view of the KCON 2019 LA, held at the LA Convention Center and Staples Center. (Photos: CJ E&M)

Chairman Lee Jay-hyun of CJ Group.

The KCON 2019 LA, an annual Korean Wave convention organized by CJ E&M, the entertainment & lifestyle company of CJ Group, was a success, according to organizers and participants.

Cumulative spectators have now surpassed 1 million people at all the KCONs.

The KCON 2019 LA, held at the LA Convention Center and Staples Center from Aug. 15 to Aug. 18, attracted approximately 103,000 spectators. The figure represented a 10-fold jump over the KCON 2012 LA, held in Irvine, Calf., which drew about 10,000 people.

The KCON is the world’s largest Korean Wave convention. CJ E&M has organized it annually. The festival has been expanded to regions such as North America, Central and Southern America, the Middle East, Asia, Southeast Asia and Oceania to spread Korean culture around the world.

The KCON USA, accounting for nearly 60 percent of the cumulative spectators, has emerged as a key event.

A poster to publicize the KCON 2019 LA.

The KCON 2019 LA had a four-day run, one day longer than the conventional three-day period. The latest Korean Wave convention was highlighted with souped-up hands-on experience programs such as K-pop, enjoying popularity, K-beauty and K-food content events.

CJ E&M organized the K-Collection, a sales promotion-cum-exhibition for 40 promising Korean SMEs, who do not find it easy to gain access to global markets, at the LA Convention Center in cooperation with the Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS) and Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA).

Prior to the exhibition, the exhibitors held a one-on-one export negotiation session with about 60 U.S. buyers, including the American on-line shopping mall Revolve in Los Angeles to look at their possible entry into the U.S. market.

In particular, the KCON 2019 LA focused on spreading K-beauty through the participation of 26 beauty companies.

President On Yoon-sun of Mtmco said his company has achieved remarkable achievements as it saw exports to the United States shoot up more than 30 percent since it first participated in KCON 2016 LA. He added that it was attractive for the company to introduce its products and have a good reception by meeting consumers in their teens and 20s who are interested in K-beauty through the KCON.

In the past six years, 257 SMEs participated in the KCON events, which are rated to serve as one of opportunities for Korean SMEs to enter the North American markets.