KCON LA is a three-day convention held at the Los Angeles Convention Center, bringing all things K-pop to American audiences through concerts, meet-and-greets and collaborations with companies like Olive Young and Jollibee. Each day culminates in a concert at the Crypto arena, featuring names like NCT 127, aespa, SEVENTEEN and Hwasa.
However, some fans dream of performing on the stage themselves.
Auditions are the main way K-pop producers discover new talent, and at KCON, the auditions extended overseas, allowing fans to perform with their favorite idols and scout prospective talent for upcoming idol groups.
KCON held two auditions at the center this year. First is the KCON Dream Stage, where fans wear their favorite groups’ signature colors and audition to be backup dancers at the nighttime concerts at the Crypto Arena. The audition consists of two stages: a video submission to qualify and a live audition in front of judges. Kelly Corzo, one of the fans who had hoped to perform, flew out specifically to audition for her favorite group, NCT 127.
However, due to the structure of the convention, fans who participate give up parts of the traditional fan experience.
“If you get into Dream Stage, you don’t really get to go around KCON. It’s all rehearsal until the performance. But people do it because they really, really love the group, the music, the dancing,” Corzo said.
One such performer is Jet B, a recent college graduate with goals of working in the performance industry as a singer.
“I just can’t get enough of being on stage,” Jet B said. ”It’s just a lot of fun. I want to take it to the next level. The plan? It’s this, man. Becoming part of this global group.”
He’s talking about passing the tryouts for the newly announced Produce 101 Japan Shinsekai Auditions, which are currently being hosted at the convention center as part of the KCON LA activities. Produce 101 has formed groups like IZ*ONE, which have taken the world by storm and topped charts.
Produce 101 is a reality television survival show that collects audience votes in order to decide the final eleven that will form a K-pop group. 101 prospective idols showcase their talents to an audience of millions. In 2017, a fifth of South Korea’s population cast votes for the finale of Season 2, according to Seoul Magazine.
Following South Korea’s success, spinoff shows took place in Thailand, China and Japan, culminating in the most recent Produce 101 Japan: The Girls, which formed the trending girl group Me: I. This new show, Produce 101 Japan Shinsekai, recruits male talent from around the globe for the first time and is slated to premiere in early 2026.
“I’m willing to go through it all if it means having a chance at [being an idol]. Japan isn’t a bad place to live,” Jet said.
The show is a stepping stone for some, but for Jayce Khin, it is the go-ahead he needs to go all-in on his K-pop dreams. Jayce is a full-time pre-med student who fell in love with dance at local conventions like the We Bridge Music Festival, where he mixed the audio, created the lighting effects and choreographed a fight scene for his performance. Currently on his gap year, he recently auditioned for Produce 101 to pursue his dream of being a K-POP idol.
“This is the only time now, because I’m not attending my Bachelor’s. Between that and my higher degree, I don’t want to push it back,” Khin said. “[Being a doctor] is definitely more stable as a career. My parents support my dancing but they lean more towards stability, getting a job. [Auditioning during my gap year] is kind of like a compromise.”