The Seoul Pop Culture Convention 2025, South Korea’s largest pop culture festival, opened at COEX in Samseong-dong, southern Seoul, on Saturday. Cheers erupted and camera flashes lit up from every direction as influencers dressed as popular game and animation characters struck poses on the main stage.

The venue was packed with visitors eager to take photos with and get autographs from the influencers. Some attendees even drew attention by dancing to game OSTs blasting from speakers on the spot.

Participants cosplaying as characters such as Kenshin, the central figure of the Japanese hit manga Rurouni Kenshin, and the Joker, Spider-Man, Elsa, and Darth Vader, could be seen roaming the halls - many of them foreign fans.

Now in its fourth year, Seoul Pop Culture Convention is Korea’s largest pop culture expo that spans the entire K-content industry – games, webtoons, animation, film, drama, and music.

From PC, console, mobile and indie games to cutting-edge technologies such as AI and XR, along with webtoons, animation, characters, figurines, films, dramas, and OTT services - the event showcases a wide range of content. It also serves as a platform for creators, companies, and buyers to connect, explore collaborations, and expand global market opportunities.

The three-day event for 2025, which began on Friday, featured 150 companies across 300 booths presenting over 600 brands. More than 40,000 visitors attended, making it a major success.

Observers note that the event has evolved beyond a simple fandom gathering into a business platform uniting creators, companies, and buyers.

On the opening day, Hollywood actor Ben Hardy heated up the atmosphere with a talk show and fan signing. Visiting Korea for the first time, he shared behind-the-scenes stories from filming “The Conjuring: Last Rites.”

Booths dedicated to specific works also drew strong crowds. The booth for the soon-to-be-released anime film, “Chainsaw Man: The Movie: Reze Arc” bustled with visitors wearing headbands mimicking the protagonist’s chainsaw-blade forehead. A Korea voice actor talk show for Netflix’s hit, “K-pop Demon Hunters,” also earned enthusiastic responses from both domestic and international fans.

Various virtual content experiences captivated attendees as well. Concerts by virtual YouTubers using motion capture technology were held throughout the venue alongside booths by virtual artist labels.

Fans lined up to take photos and chat with avatars beyond the screen. Japan’s virtual live streamer group Nijisanji hosted a fan meeting, engaging directly with their Korean audience.

Global companies also joined the event with representatives from TapTap, the Chinese version of Google Play, and other international firms holding business meetings with Korean game developers.

Seoul Pop Culture Convention generated 8.9 billion won ($6.4 million) in consultations and 2.4 billion won in signed contracts in 2024, highlighting its growing industrial significance.

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