JYP Entertainment founder Park Jin-young, co-chair of the Presidential Committee on Popular Culture Exchange, on July 27 announces the hosting of the inaugural Fanomenon late next year at a news conference held at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea in Seoul's Jongno-gu District. (Yonhap News)

By Kang Gahui

Fanomenon 2027, a massive Hallyu (Korean Wave) festival centered on K-pop, will debut next year from Dec. 2–12 at Seoul Arena in the capital's Dobong-gu District and the convention center KINTEX in Goyang, Gyeonggi-do Province.

The Presidential Committee on Popular Culture Exchange, co-chaired by Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Chae Hwi-young and JYP Entertainment founder Park Jin-young, on July 27 released the plan for this event at a news conference held at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea in Seoul's Jongno-gu District.

The privately run extravaganza will span K-pop concerts, fandom awards ceremonies, exhibitions and interactive programs offered by Korean culture companies. The event's name is a neologism combining the words "fan" and "phenomenon" to convey the meaning "fan-created phenomenon."

"The Fanomenon awards ceremony will be held in December next year, and second, we will launch an inaugural festival in May 2028 in Los Angeles similar to Coachella," Park said. "Third, we plan to build K-culture centers in major cities around the world and performance venues with a capacity of about 20,000 seats while incorporating within them government offices, companies and the stores of major Korean companies."

Seoul Arena will host the awards ceremony as a combination of concerts by renowned artists and giving out honors. Ten fan groups deemed to demonstrate the highest passion and influence over the past year will be selected for prizes, and the acts representing the groups will accept the awards on behalf of their fans.

Over the same period, KINTEX will host music performances with multiple artists, exhibitions and interactive events that allow firsthand experience with Korean content.

The committee said Fanomenon 2027 is expected to attract 520,000 visitors, including 200,000 from abroad, over its 11-day period and generate an economic impact of about KRW 1 trillion.

kgh89@korea.kr