Chasing K-pop: Music Industry & Fan Culture

Brandon Yoon: Why He Hid His Kimchi Lunchbox

Graduation season is here. For Brandon Yoon, graduating from UCLA is not just the end of college. Before he became one of the most beloved Korean American creators online, there was a kid at school opening a lunchbox filled with kimchi, jjigae, or kimbap and immediately feeling the room react. Years later, one of those family spaces became the center of his story. Sunny Cleaners, his grandmother’s old laundromat in Koreatown, was a real place shaped by years of work and sacrifice. Through tenderness and the everyday details of immigrant life, Brandon built a story around helping his grandmother retire. The same culture he once had to explain became the language people loved him for. Friends who once made Korean food feel embarrassing now ask him for KBBQ recommendations in Koreatown. And people in Korea now invite him to share his experience as a Korean American. This month, Brandon graduates from UCLA. For the kid who once felt too Korean in one room and not Korean enough in another, this moment feels bigger than a degree. The stories he once kept in the background became the beginning of everything he is building now. Audio Editor: Patrick Lei

Corazón y K-pop: Why Latin America Can’t Get Enough

BTS took over Mexico this weekend. and the reaction showed just how powerful K-pop has become across Latin America. The excitement grew so intense that Mexico’s president reportedly even asked BTS to add more concert dates. When the group appeared on a balcony at the presidential palace to greet fans, nearly 50,000 ARMYs erupted into tears and cheers for the seven young men who had traveled from the other side of the world. According to CNN, ticket prices for the Mexico concerts reportedly climbed as high as $9,000. In Peru, some fans even planted trees so BTS could have a better view from their airplane. For this episode, Chasing K-pop met three Latina K-pop fans in the middle of Los Angeles to explore a bigger question: Why has K-pop resonated so deeply across Latin communities? Daniella, who grew up in Venezuela and has followed K-pop since 2009, said she was drawn to it because it felt completely different from her everyday life, a fantasy that allowed her to escape reality. “These idols feel larger than life to us,” she said. Naty Olen, who was born and raised in Brazil, spoke to a frustration many Latin American fans share. They have been there since day one, she said, but are almost always the last to receive concert tours, merchandise, and industry attention. Although the interviews took place in Los Angeles, the three women shared how their Latina identity shaped the way they connected with K-pop.

Coachella Proved Her Right: The BIGBANG Fan Ahead of Her Time | Skyler Lee

What does it mean to grow up Korean American, and build a career bridging two cultures through K-pop? Skyler was nine years old when she moved from Korea to Omaha, Nebraska. With no Korean friends or culture around her, she had only a laptop, sketchy streaming sites, and BIGBANG playing on loop in the dark. She forced herself to listen to Britney Spears just to make friends. She kept her K-pop obsession to herself for years, and waited for the world to catch up. It finally did. BIGBANG performed at Coachella last week, and Skyler is now an influencer attending the same festival where her favorite artists once performed. Now based in LA, Skyler is a Korean American content creator, DJ, hot yoga instructor, and K-pop influencer with over 340K followers worldwide. In this episode, we talk about what Korean American identity actually feels like from the inside, and the real difference between Korean and American K-pop fans.

Heeseung Leaves ENHYPEN: Global Fans Speak Out

HYBE announced on Tuesday that Heeseung would be departing from ENHYPEN to pursue a solo career, catching fans off guard. In this emergency episode, ENGENEs from Argentina, Australia, Canada, and the U.S. come together to share how they’re processing the news. A global fan conversation about ENHYPEN, fandom, and the future of K-pop. Audio Editor: Patrick Lei (@heysaylei) Coordinator & Assistant: Selena Huynh #ENHYPEN #Heeseung #Kpop #ENGENE #KpopPodcast

BTS Comeback Season: Too Old to Be a K-Pop Fangirl? ARMY Over 40 Speak Out

BTS songs are mostly in Korean. So how did women in their 40s, 50s, and even 80s become deeply connected ARMYs? In this episode of Chasing K-pop, host Chase talks with Carol, founder of the BTS ARMY Over 40 Club, a global community of 5,000+ fans that began with a late-night TikTok post during the 2020 pandemic. We explore how BTS’s music helped fans find self-love, healing, and belonging across language and age barriers. From navigating cancer and grief to creating real-world impact through fundraising and global friendships, these women show how fandom can become a powerful source of support. This conversation challenges the idea that fandom has an age limit and reveals why BTS’s message resonates so deeply with older fans, especially during comeback and concert seasons.