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.



Book Release | Review: Against All Odds by Corinne Michaels

AGAINST ALL ODDS, AVAILABLE NOW!

Blurb:
When my ex-husband leaves me for the co-star in his movie, moving back to Ember Falls feels like my only option.

Everett Finnegan, my first love and the man I’ve never forgotten, is ready to welcome me with open arms…and an open bed.

But when I find out I’m pregnant with my ex’s baby, my entire world is upended.

My ex doesn’t want the baby, but I plan to rebuild my life as a single mother and figure out how to handle all of this alone.

Except that I don’t seem to be alone―Everett always shows up for me.

I don’t expect him to get mixed up in all my drama―not when he has his own. And I wish he would listen to me when I say we have to stop whatever it is we’re doing.

But he wants me, the baby, and my heart.

So when I’m forced to return to California sooner than planned, I’m devastated.

Everett can’t leave Ember Falls, and I can’t stay.

Saying goodbye to him the first time was hard enough. This time, it just might break me

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I was sooooo excited for the third book in the Ember Falls series, Against All Odds. I have been patiently waiting since I finished book two. Once again, Corinne Michaels proves what an amazing author she is.  I went into this story as blind as possible and was not disappointed. 

I love our two main characters so much. Violet and Everett get a second chance at love after Violet finds out her famous actor husband has been cheating on her. Not only does she have to deal with the betrayal of an affair but she has to face it publicly. Due to this, she decides it’s best to head back to her small town of Ember Falls where her childhood love, Everett still lives.  

The chemistry between Violet and Everett is off the charts. It’s not all smooth sailing, however. There’s a few unexpected complications that our couple has to navigate. There’s passion, angst, romance, and humor throughout this book. I’m rating it 4.5 stars and highly recommend this for an amazing summer read. I read it in one sitting, as I could not put it down. 
Review by:


Meet Corinne



Corinne Michaels is a New York TimesUSA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of romance novels. Her stories are chock full of emotion, humor, and unrelenting love, and she enjoys putting her characters through intense heartbreak before finding a way to heal them through their struggles.

Corinne is a former Navy wife and happily married to the man of her dreams. She began her writing career after spending months away from her husband while he was deployed--reading and writing were her escapes from the loneliness. Corinne now lives in Virginia with her husband and is the emotional, witty, sarcastic, and fun-loving mom of two beautiful children.


Connect with Corinne


Website: http://corinnemichaels.com

Goodreads: https://bit.ly/2N1H2Gb

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1NVZmhv

Facebook: https://bit.ly/1iwLh6y

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/corinnemichaelsbooks/

Instagram: https://bit.ly/2L1Vzo6

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@corinne.michaels

Bookbub: https://bit.ly/2yc6rss

Pinterest: https://bit.ly/2m7MkEL

Verve: https://ververomance.com/app/corinnemichaels

Cover Reveal: Denim & Diamonds by Penelope Ward | Vi Keeland



Title: Denim & Diamonds
Authors: Penelope Ward & Vi Keeland
Genre: Standalone Contemporary Romance
Cover Design: Sommer Stein, Perfect Pear Creative
Photographer: Wander Aguiar Photography
Model: Lucas Loyola
Release Date: July 27, 2025


BLURB

When the board of directors of my company mandated that I go to a wellness facility in small-town Maine to recharge, that shouldn’t have included:
1.) Using a ladder to sneak out of the bedroom window at night and going to the local bar.
2.) Getting so drunk that the bar owner brought me upstairs to sleep it off in his bed.
3.) Waking up staring at the taxidermy moose head on said bar owner’s wall.
4.) Falling for said bar owner who was the most drop-dead gorgeous man I’ve ever seen.
But Brock Hawkins was so much more than just the hot bar owner. He owned half the town, built log cabins with his bare hands, and was apparently the most eligible man in all of Meadowbrook.
He was also a cinnamon roll despite his seemingly rock-hard exterior.
And the last man I should’ve been falling for—because my time in this small town was limited.
I had to head back to my life in New York City, one that was the complete opposite from the kind Brock lived.
He was denim. I was diamonds.
The problem was, the sexy lumberjack wasn’t the type of man who was easy to walk away from. Hell, I couldn’t even part with his plaid shirt that had become a constant fixture wrapped around my shoulders most days, let alone think about erasing him from my life.
A life with Brock, though, would have to be all or nothing.
Go big or go home.
I just didn’t realize that choosing to go big might also mean getting my heart broken when Brock’s life took a turn neither of us saw coming.







PRE-ORDER LINKS

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU / AUDIO


Sign up for Penelope & Vi's mailing list now and be the first one notified when it goes live!







PENELOPE WARD


Penelope Ward is a New York Times, USA Today and #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author of contemporary romance.

She grew up in Boston with five older brothers and spent most of her twenties as a television news anchor. Penelope resides in Rhode Island with her husband, son, and beautiful daughter with autism.

With millions of books sold, she is a 21-time New York Times bestseller and the author of over thirty novels. Her books have been translated into over a dozen languages and can be found in bookstores around the world.



VI KEELAND


Vi Keeland is a #1 New York Times, #1 Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author. With millions of books sold, her titles are currently translated in twenty-seven languages and have appeared on bestseller lists in the US, Germany, Brazil, Bulgaria and Hungary. Three of her short stories have been turned into films by Passionflix, and two of her books are currently optioned for movies. She resides in New York with her husband and their three children where she is living out her own happily ever after with the boy she met at age six.




NYCC Guests, Creators, & Exhibitors so Far for 2025

 NEW YORK COMIC CON ANNOUNCES FIRST WAVE OF GUESTS, CREATORS & EXHIBITORS FOR 2025 SHOW

 

Stars from Across Pop Culture’s Biggest Franchises Including James McAvoy, Nicholas Hoult, Elliot Page, Simu Liu, Charlie Cox, and More are Heading to NYCC 2025

 

NORWALK, CT – June 25, 2025 – Suit up, heroes (and villains)! ReedPop, the world’s leading producer of pop culture events, today unveiled a first look at the action-packed guest lineup for New York Comic Con 2025. NYCC is returning to the Javits Center in New York City on October 9-12, 2025

 

Guests heading to New York Comic Con this October include James McAvoy (X-Men, Split and Glass; Atonement); Nicholas Hoult (Superman, Nosferatu, The Great); Elliot Page (X-Men, The Umbrella Academy, Juno); Simu Liu (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Kim's Convenience); Tatiana Maslany (She-Hulk: Attorney at LawOrphan Black); Bryce Dallas Howard(Jurassic World, Argylle, The Help); cast members across Marvel television properties including Charlie Cox, Deborah Ann Woll, Mike ColterMing Na Wen, Clark Gregg, and Chloe Bennett; and iconic voice actors from fan-favorite series and movies like Avatar: The Last AirbenderThe Little Mermaid, Demon Slayer, and more. Plus fan-favorites from the cast of Critical Role.  

 

Major comic and literary legends will also make their way to the convention, including George R.R. MartinJ. Scott Campbell, Jeph Loeb, Scott Snyder, Greg Capullo, Tini Howard, Gabrielle Dell'Otto, Babs Tarr, Jim Lee, Tomi Adeyemi, Jim Butcher, Matt Dinniman, Kim-Joy, Daniel Warren Johnson, and Joe Hill.  New York Comic Con also revealed the first wave of partners heading to this year’s event including Paramount +, Nickelodeon, Marvel, Funko, Loungefly, Bandai Namco Entertainment, Crunchyroll, New York Public Library, Scholastic, VIZ, New York City Tourism + Conventions, and more. 

 

Tickets, including additional Saturday badges, will go on sale to the general public for New York Comic Con 2025 today, Wednesday, June 25 at 12:00 PM ET.

 

Check out the full lineup of guests announced today atNewYorkComicCon.com

 

Details on Photo Ops, Autographing sessions, and panels will be revealed closer to the event. The application forpanel programming is open now through July 1.

Stay up to date on the latest New York Comic Con news atNewYorkComicCon.com and on FacebookX, andInstagram.

About ReedPop
ReedPop is a boutique group within RX – one of the world’s leading event organizers. Launched in 2006, the group has become the number one producer of pop culture events globally and a full-service digital content provider and media company. Delivering once-in-a-lifetime fan experiences curated specifically for localized audiences, ReedPop currently features events in North America and Europe, including New York Comic Con (NYCC), Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo (C2E2), PAX West, East, and Unplugged, Emerald City Comic Con (ECCC), Star Wars Celebration, MCM Comic Con, Eurogamer Expo (EGX), MagicCon, Florida Supercon, BookCon and more. In addition to organizing and managing events, ReedPop owns and operates the pop culture news site, Popverse, which is the exclusive home for livestreams from all of ReedPop's major comic cons. The staff at ReedPop are a fan-based group of professionals uniquely qualified to build and serve the communities with whom they share a common passion.(www.reedpop.com).  

Release Blitz: Someone Knows by Vi Keeland



Title: Someone Knows
Author: Vi Keeland
Publisher: S&S/Emily Bestler Books
Genre: Standalone Thriller
Release Date: June 17, 2025


BLURB

As a college English professor, Elizabeth looks forward to the start of each new semester teaching her creative writing seminar. At least until she reads chapter one of The Reckoning, a tale about a high school senior who has an affair with her teacher. To anyone else it would be the beginning of a great page-turner, but to Elizabeth it is the beginning of the end.

She knows this story. It’s all familiar because she lived it. The girl in the story was her best friend Jocelyn, and Elizabeth knows exactly how the story will end—with the teacher dead. Because she was the one who killed him.

Someone knows what Elizabeth did twenty years ago and her secret is about to be exposed, but who is the mystery student submitting the chapters? In an effort to find out, Elizabeth returns to her Louisiana hometown where it soon becomes clear that no matter how many years have gone by, she can’t escape her past.












AUTHOR BIO


Vi Keeland is a #1 New York Times, #1 Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author. With millions of books sold, her titles are currently translated in twenty-seven languages and have appeared on bestseller lists in the US, Germany, Brazil, Bulgaria, Israel, and Hungary. Three of her short stories have been turned into films by Passionflix, and two of her books are currently optioned for movies. She resides in New York with her husband and their three children where she is living out her own happily ever after with the boy she met at age six.


AUTHOR LINKS


This Could Be Forever by Ebony LaDelle


This Could Be Forever by Ebony LaDelle is the kind of love story that feels soft around the edges but grounded in something real. It’s sweet and romantic without trying too hard, and the connection between the two main characters, Deja and Raja, feels both instant and earned. From the moment they meet, you can sense something special is about to unfold, not just a romance, but a story about growth, purpose, and learning how to show up for someone else while still showing up for yourself.

Deja is focused on building a future in science and skincare, and Raja is chasing his dream of becoming a tattoo artist while carrying the weight of his parents’ expectations. Their worlds are very different, but they come together in a way that feels natural and full of warmth. I loved how LaDelle weaves in both Southern Black and Nepali culture, there’s care and authenticity in the way these identities are shown, and the story never feels like it’s explaining itself. It just invites you in.

What stood out most to me is how emotionally mature the relationship felt, especially for a young adult book. There’s a real sense of mutual respect and support between Deja and Raja. They ask hard questions, face real-life pressures, and still manage to hold space for each other’s dreams. Their romance moves quickly, but it works. The pacing mirrors that feeling of falling fast and hard for someone who just gets you.

This isn’t just a love story, it’s a celebration of culture, family, and the beauty of young people figuring out who they are. The supporting characters add so much heart and life to the story, and the community around them really grounds the relationship in something bigger than just two people falling in love. If you’re looking for a contemporary romance that’s full of heart and sincerity, this one is worth picking up. It’s hopeful, charming, and it left me smiling long after the last page.


Refugee by Alan Gratz (Scholastic)

 


Rating: ★★★★½ (4.5/5)

By Yara – OnceUponaTwilight.com


Refugee by Alan Gratz, published by Scholastic, is a powerful middle-grade novel that doesn’t shy away from heavy truths. It follows three young characters from different time periods and countries as they each flee their homes in search of safety. Their journeys are intense, emotional, and surprisingly connected.


What drew me to this book wasn’t just the buzz or the cover. I picked it up during our middle school Scholastic Book Fair after seeing that one of the stories follows a Cuban girl named Isabel who escapes on a boat with her family during the 1990s. That hit home. My husband fled Cuba the same way around the same time. Reading Isabel’s journey stirred up memories I’ve only heard about but could now see through a child’s eyes. And here’s the part that completely caught me off guard, one of the other characters is escaping to Cuba. That kind of full-circle storytelling really stuck with me.


Gratz also introduces us to Josef, a Jewish boy escaping Nazi Germany, and Mahmoud, a Syrian boy caught in the chaos of modern-day civil war. All three stories are gripping, but I’ll admit one of them didn’t hit quite as hard for me as the others. It’s the only reason I’m giving this 4.5 instead of a full 5 stars.


Still, Refugee is one of those rare books that educates and moves you at the same time. It’s beautifully written and incredibly important, especially for younger readers. If you’ve ever wondered what courage looks like in real life, this book shows you.


Highly recommend adding this to any school or home library.


Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...