K-Pop & K-Culture Star in Korea's Busan One Asia Festival

Among the many fall festivals this season is the world’s largest "K-culture" celebration taking place October 1-23 in Busan, Korea. Known for its long and welcoming Haeundae beach, Busan is a modern city that still has a traditional Korean feel at heart.

Traditional Korean Market in Haeundae, one of Busan's popular tourist sites.

Officially known as the 2016 Busan One Asia Festival, there will be programs, live shows, concerts and a conference focused on K-pop (music), K-food, K-beauty and a variety of popular Korean media content, all in one location. Here's a look at what visitors can expect in a video by the BOF.

The three-week event centers around Hallyu content, a term referring to the very fast and widespread popularity of Korean popular culture, what we would call viral. BOF kicks off with a big K-Pop concert and fan events, as well as a Taste Busan food festival featuring cooking classes by star Asian chefs.

The Korean Wave Star & Beauty Collection runs through October 9, and visitors can virtually meet Korean pop culture stars through holograms, VR or 3D and learn about their beauty secrets. Artists will be on hand to do makeup demonstrations, show off new cosmetics, and present a K-beauty marketplace.


The One Asia Cultural Conference, One Asia Platform and the Running Man Hands on Experience Program take place in the following weeks.

Main stage at the recent Busan Rock Festival, photos courtesy Busan Tourism Office.

On October 23, the last day of the festival, the One Asia Dream Concert will take place as the event’s grand finale.

K-fans can expect to catch Psy (megastar of "Gangnam Style" fame), CNBLUE, B1A4, Apink, Girls’ Day, B.A.P, AOA, BTS, SE7EN, Hwang Chi Yeul, INFINITE, U-Kiss, TWICE, SHINee, GFrined, Gummy and T-ara.


Check out the official BOF website and Facebook page for more details on the schedule and star appearances.