HallyuPopFest brought the biggest names in K-Pop, including Exo member Chen, to London this past weekend.
The musical extravaganza launched in Singapore in 2018 and had another edition in 2019 before finally going global in 2022 with the aim of bringing top Korean musical artists to the UK.
In an exclusive interview with BANG Showbiz, solo artist Sam Kim described the feeling of performing alongside many of K-pop’s most iconic stars as “intimidating,” but he was thrilled to have his friend Chen around. him to support him before his set.
He said: “I came here, I saw all these idol groups and people that I had only seen on TV, so I was like, ‘Oh my God, it’s them, it’s SF9, it’s crazy!’
“Besides, it’s a bit lonely. Fortunately, I’m close to Chen from Exo, so he takes care of me a bit, you know? He’s really nice.
Kim, whose last full album “Sun and Moon” was released in 2018, says new music from him will hopefully be coming, but in the meantime “you might be able to see my name in the credits of other artists soon”.
P1Harmony also shared the feeling of excitement at being part of the roster, with leader Keeho adding, “I feel like that’s what makes K-pop so charming and adorable, there are so many groups different with different colors and unique people. It’s amazing to have been able to show all of this at the same time, so we were so happy to be a part of it”.
For the first time in London, P1Harmony was particularly keen to show “our young and free spirit”, as the Soul rapper puts it.
CIX’s third anniversary is approaching at the end of July, and leader BX expressed his joy at finally being able to interact with fans after the pandemic, saying “we haven’t been able to see our FIX for a long time, so we’re very happy to be here with all of you”.
While enjoying the city, Seunghun said his goal is to shop, swim, and “play football with British kids!”
The festival took place over two days on July 9 and 10 at the OVO Arena, Wembley, where fans enjoyed performances by girl groups Everglow, Weeekly and Kep1er; boy groups P1Harmony, Oneus, Astro, Cravity, CIX and SF9; soloists Sam Kim, Paul Kim and Hwasa; and festival headliners Chen and Kai – from iconic band Exo.