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Leading Entertainment company CJ ENM successfully staged its renowned event, KCON, held in Hong Kong from March 30th to March 31st. Especially, three of CJ ENM’s mega IPs, namely ‘Apartment404’, ‘Unexpected Business: in California’, and ‘Lovely Runner’, were transformed into engaging experiential booths.

‘Apartment404’, aired on tvN and TVING in Korea, and globally on Amazon Prime Video, is a retro reality variety show featuring top stars Yu Jae Seok, Chae Tae Hyun, Oh Na Ra, Yang Se Chan, JENNIE, and Lee Jung Ha. The show is set in an apartment building where the six residents trace the truth behind extraordinary events that occur in their residences.

The booth for ‘Apartment404’ offered fans a VR game experience, created in collaboration with PONY ENT, a specialist VFX company. Here, KCONers were able to immerse themselves in the apartment setting featured in the show. The ultimate mission was to find the hidden numbers 4,0,4, by going through various parts inside the apartment.

At the ‘Unexpected Business: in California’ booth, fans were able to take a ‘MY KPOP STAN TEST’ and receive recommendations for menu items from the show based on their preferences. Aired on Disney+, it is another sequel to the popular ‘Unexpected Business’ series, this time featuring Cha Tae Hyun and Zo Insung who become temporary owners of a local ‘Asian Market’ in California. Together as hosts, they engage with diverse local customers and form connections with them.

‘Lovely Runner’, scheduled to premiere on April 8th on tvN and TVING in Korea, and globally on Viu, U-NEXT, and Rakuten Viki, is a drama starring Byun Woo-seok and Kim Hye-yoon. The story revolves around an A-list celebrity's sudden death and a fan who travels through time to save him. The ‘Lovely Runner’ booth offered fans the chance to reminisce about significant moments in their K-POP journey by freely recording the first time meeting their favorite artists to the day of a legendary performance.

The event was a hit, leaving many KCONers thrilled with lifelike booths inspired by their favorite shows. One KCONer, after trying the Apartment404 VR booth, remarked, "It felt like stepping into the actual apartment from the show. I truly felt part of 'Apartment404', and I was also excited to experience my favorite K-content at KCON."

Another KCONer, intrigued by the 'Unexpected Business: in California' booth, shared, "Watching the show, I was curious about the K-food they prepared. It was exciting to receive personalized menu recommendations from the K-POP STAN survey."

And at the 'Lovely Runner' booth, a fan reminisced, "Reflecting on my favorite K-POP memories was delightful and made me realize the wonderful journey I've had, from meeting them for the first time to my favorite performances. This experience also made me expect this new K-drama."

Sehee Jang, head of CJ ENM’s Global Marketing Team, conveyed enthusiasm about KCON HONG KONG 2024’s success, expressing, “We were thrilled to witness the KCONers in Hong Kong enjoying the booths crafted from CJ ENM’s well made content. Especially with the experiential booths, we aimed to provide fans with an immersive journey into the worlds of their favorite shows, bridging the gap between viewers and the captivating narratives they adore."

Meanwhile, KCON, which has been a force in the spread of K-POP around the world, is a K-culture festival combining masterfully produced K-POP concerts with a convention where fans can experience every aspect of Korean culture – from music and fashion, to television and food. KCON began in the United States in 2012 and has since been held in Japan, United Arab Emirates, France, Mexico, Australia, Thailand, and Saudi Arabia. Over the past 12 years, it has amassed an attendance figure of around 1.69 million in 13 regions.

KCON HONG KONG 2024 took place at AsiaWorld-Expo, featuring performances by Korea’s most representative K-POP artists, such as aespa, BOYNEXTDOOR, HIGHLIGHT, DAY6, ATEEZ, and ZEROBASEONE. The show was led by special MCs, BOYNEXTDOOR’s JAEHYUN and aespa’s NINGNING on DAY 1, and ZEROBASEONE’s SUNG HAN BIN and ZHANG HAO on DAY 2.