Special Feature: 'How To LA' at KCON

LAist returns to KCON in LA! HowTo LA host Brian De Los Santos caught up with K-pop Dreaming host Vivian Yoon to tour this year's KCON LA.  Guests: Peter Sohn, director of Pixar's Elemental; Vivian Yoon, host of LAist's K-pop Dreaming; & Steve Chung, CEO of CJ ENM America. Music in this episode c…

K-Pop Dreaming - Bonus #4: K-Beauty

The popularity of Korean beauty products has spread globally, just like K-Pop.And we thought you might enjoy this conversation on the origins and rise of K-Beauty -- not only as an industry, but as a new beauty standard.  The conversation was part of a live event tied to the launch of the new book…

K-Pop Dreaming - Bonus #3: Origins of K-Pop

In a special live event in partnership between LAist Studios and GYOPO, Vivian delves into the origins of K-Pop with Michello Cho, a professor at University of Toronto, and Jheanelle Brown, a California Institute of the Arts faculty member. The conversation goes deep on the influence of hip hop on …

K-Pop Dreaming - Bonus #2: The Making of Red Velvet's "Psycho"

"Psycho" was an instant K-Pop hit when it came out in 2019. The Red Velvet song debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s World Digital Song Sales chart, and the music video now has over 300 million views on Youtube. In this bonus episode, we look at the creation of "Psycho". Vivian speaks to two of the son…

K-Pop Dreaming - Bonus #1: Danny Im

1TYM is one of the most iconic first-generation K-pop groups from the 90’s. The group is also one of Vivian’s all-time favorites. This special bonus episode features an extended interview with Danny Im, the lead vocalist of 1TYM. Danny talks to Vivian about meeting legendary K-pop producer YG in …

K-Pop Dreaming - Koreatown

K-Pop has put Koreatown on the map for a lot of people who might not have known about the neighborhood otherwise. Fans from around the country visit the area for concerts, special K-Pop events, and to find rare or one-of-a-kind merch. Vivian hits up some of these establishments in K-town to see wha…

K-Pop Dreaming - KCON

There’s no better place to experience K-Pop fandom in all of its passion and glory than KCON. In the span of a decade, the annual fan convention has grown to a nationwide event drawing hundreds of thousands of fans. And just like many things K-Pop-related in the US – the extravaganza started right …

K-Pop Dreaming - Roots of Rap

The LA Uprising exploded racial and economic injustices simmering under the surface of Los Angeles into the open. Vivian looks at the events leading up to the Uprising, and the efforts following the protests to promote racial harmony in Los Angeles, including the staging of an African music festiva…

K-Pop Dreaming - Solid

The underground hip-hop scene in Los Angeles was thriving in the late 1980s. And there, soaking in the vibe, was a Korean American college student by the name of Jae Chong. He was also making music on the side, but didn’t think much was going to come of it. That is, until an out-of-the-blue invitat…

K-Pop Dreaming - Moon Night

In this episode, we head to an American military neighborhood in Seoul in the late 1980s. Tucked in an alleyway was a little grimy club that blasted American hip-hop, the place was for African American GIs to cut loose, but it pulled in an unexpected crowd – young Koreans who would become the pione…