P1Harmony on the KCON LA 2025 Red Carpet // Courtesy of CJ ENM
CJENM
P1Harmony are now veterans of KCON.
Into their third year of KCON Los Angeles, the K-pop superstars – Keeho, Theo, Jiung, Intak, Soul, and Jongseob – are more comfortable with the staging, convention atmosphere, and their relationship with the KCON fans (which consists of their fans, P1ece).
Fresh from their KCON Friday night M Countdown performance, the group is all smiles and energy at their hotel on Saturday morning, as they prep for all-day interviews before their Sunday show on KCON’s Artist Stage. You couldn’t tell they performed two days in a row (They also performed on Thursday night at the K-Culture Night at the Academy Museum).
Yet, they laughed and joked with each other, chatting with their staff and journalists who were slowly arriving. Their mood seemed to lighten up everyone else, who were tired from non-stop KCON coverage. Keeho, the leader and interpreter for the group, had been doing this all weekend but seemed to have the most energy, offering funny quips between each translation for his team.
“I keep saying ‘definitely, ’” Keeho laughs. “I don’t know why that’s a filler word for me.”
P1Harmony // K-Culture Night At the Academy Museum with KCON
Academy Museum Foundation // Scott Garrison
It’s no wonder they are so beloved and celebrated in the K-pop community and seen as the next generation of K-pop groups finding success globally. They were selected to represent K-pop at the K-Culture event, which they felt was an honor to attend.
“It’s so crazy because it’s the Academy!” Keeho says in shock. “The Academy! If you look back at some of our old interviews, we would often be asked about career goals, and we would say things like winning a Grammy and all those cute little things. Having an institution like that work with CJ Entertainment to promote K-culture and K-pop as a whole was an honor to be a part of. We were the only K-pop group there, and this was [the Academy’s] first time doing it. It was cool to be there.”
Jiung and Intak looked at each other, pushing the other to say more. They all laugh, encouraging Jiung to share his thoughts on representing Korean entertainment alongside the award-winning film Parasite and Netflix’s hit series, Squid Game.
Born and raised in South Korea, Jiung didn’t know the weight and responsibility that came with performing for such a big institution like the Academy of Motion Pictures. Keeho, who is Korean Canadian, explained to him the significance of the situation and how significant an opportunity it was for the group.
“After realizing that and being the representatives of K-pop there, it felt like a lot of responsibility,” Jiung says. “It was a really big opportunity to introduce K-pop to everyone, not just our fans, but the rest of the audience and community [who may not be aware of K-pop]. We wanted to make a good impression of K-pop, and the fact that we were chosen to do that felt like a lot of responsibility. We wanted to represent it in a way that was respectable and good.”
P1Harmony at CHI FOREST at KCON LA 2025 // Courtesy of CJ ENM
CJENM
The following day, on Friday, they spent time on the KCON festival floor going to sponsored booths, including Chi Forest, where they interacted with fans while creating their own [non-alcoholic] drink concoctions. They then continued their day with a special Meet & Greet, M Countdown Red Carpet, and M Countdown rehearsals before their main performance that night. Though it was a long day for them, they all enjoyed the experience.
“[I like the KCON] festival because it’s not just P1eces, it’s a whole bunch of different fans,” says Theo. “It’s a good way to promote not only ourselves, but our songs and the people who don’t really know our name, but can [watch] our performances and [listen] to our music. It’s a good platform to showcase [who we are].”
The group has been nonstop since their 8th EP album, Duh!, dropped in May, and were excited to perform some of the songs at KCON. With this being their third time, Intak says they felt like they got to show another side of themselves as they began their performance in the audience and walked towards the main stage.
“We started entering the stage from the crowd and doing dance breaks, which brings out a new side of us,” Intak explains. “[We sang] “Pretty Boy, ‘ which is such a different sound and vibe that we’ve never done before. This shows off a sense of maturity over the years that we’ve put together to create this group.”
P1Harmony on the KCON LA 2025 M Countdown Stage Day 1 // Courtesy of CJ ENM
CJ ENM
Last year, they still felt new to the Crypto Arena and the 360-degree stage, despite performing at KCON in 2022. Jongseob recalls the experience as “humbling.”
“It’s very, very scary to be perceived in all different angles,” Keeho laughs. “This year, we were a lot more comfortable with that because we had that experience. [We got to] show a more relaxed [performance] and make this stage our own kind of attitude, which we wanted to show this time.”
Soul enjoyed the 360-degree stage because they don’t get that during their tours. He thought it was “a cool and unique way to perform,” which is why he enjoyed returning to KCON.
“On top of that, being able to come to LA after almost a year [has been great],” says Soul. “The energy here is so amazing. The [KCON] screens, cheers [from the audience], and perform in a space like that made me fall in love with performing again. It hyped me up for the tour to come.”
P1Harmony on the KCON LA 2025 M Countdown Stage Day 1 // Courtesy of CJ ENM
CJ ENM
After their performance and appearances on Sunday, the group prepares for their Live World Tour “P1ustage H: MOST WANTED”, which begins on August 9 in Seoul, South Korea. Their North American leg starts at the end of September and runs through October. The group’s label, FNC Entertainment, have teamed up with hello82 to have live events alongside their U.S. concert dates.
“We are super excited about that,” Keeho shares. “Before we come to the States, we definitely want to give a new side of us. There are just so many more songs and things we want to perform live in front of our fans. That’s definitely before the U.S. tour starts. They’ll be able to see something new and different.”
P1Harmony continues their performance at KCON on the Artist Stage on Sunday.