BTS, SHINee, Twice & More Rock KCON 2016 Los Angeles

Over the weekend, K-Pop fans flocked to Los Angeles for an epic weekend of Korean culture and music. Since 2012, KCON USA presented by Toyota highlights the best in K-Food, K-Beauty, and of course, K-Pop music. As hallyu (the "Korean wave") continues to become more popular outside of Korea, the convention has seen exponential growth as well. The convention was held at the massive LA Convention Center and ran from July 29-31. The festivities were topped off by a sold-out, two night M! Countdown concert down the street at the Staples Center (July 30-31).

Some of the biggest names in the K-Pop music world held performances including: Astro, Block B, BTS, Dean, Eric Nam, Amber from f(x), GFriend, Girls' Generation – TTS, I.O.I, Monsta X, SHINee, and Twice. Here’s some of the best moments of the weekend:

Quincy Jones: "Annyeonghaseyo!"

In the most epic surprise to any music fan ever, legendary producer Quincy Jones hit the KCON stage to present a special award. The Quincy Jones Recognition Award was given to South Korean student Suzanne Choi, who's studying at Berklee College of Music (Mr. Jones' alma mater). Fun fact: a few K-Pop stars including Psy and Bom Park from 2NE1 also studied at the prestigious institution.

I.O.I rock the show as the newest 'Dream Girls' on the block

The 11-member, rookie girl group I.O.I opened the concert with a bright and colorful performance. The group were formed earlier this year through a Korean music reality competition, Produce 101. I.O.I made their highly-anticipated debut in May 2016 with “Dream Girls.” Their strong stage presence combined with their catchy and upbeat songs make them one of the K-Pop idols you need to keep your eyes peeled for.

The "Dream Girls," I.O.I have kicked things off at #KCON16LA! pic.twitter.com/pD0U0kjQEi— iHeartRadio (@iHeartRadio) July 31, 2016

DEAN heats things up

As a new face to the Korean music scene, DEAN has been making major waves lately after a string of stateside performances and collaborating on songs with Zion.T and Taeyeon. With his alternative R&B sound and his oozing swagger on stage, Dean's performance had everyone feeling some type of way.

GFRIEND bloom with their L.A. debut

The six-member girl group GFRIEND made their debut in 2015, and quickly became force to be reckoned with on the Korean music charts and TV shows. KCON attendees anticipated their bright songs and dazzling choreography with bated breath. We can tell that they're next in line to be among the top tier K-Pop groups.

SHINee's confirms a new album is on the way.

Just before wrapping up their explosive performance, Key from SHINee broke the news every fan wanted hear. "I know you guys are waiting [for] our new album. Yeah, we are preparing for our new album," he said to erupting cheers. No additional details were mentioned about the comeback, but it's great to know that Shawols (SHINee's fan army name) will have more to look forward to soon!

Monsta X go 'All In' with their heart-pumping performance

K-Pop idols don't usually get to perform in North America as often as they'd like. Most American fans usually have no choice but to watch their favorite artists through the lens of concert fancams and other online videos. Anyone who went to KCON could agree that seeing Monsta X's adrenaline-fueled performance is something that you'd just have to see with your own eyes to believe.

Twice brings their 'Cheer Up' aegyo to America for the first time.

Twice is the latest girl-group to break through in the K-Pop scene and they're causing a frenzy with their comeback single, “Cheer Up.” A line in the bridge, ‘shy shy shy’ quickly became a cult phenomenon in Korea. When it came time for this aegyo (cuteness) moment, fans immediately chanted along. Twice’s first North American performance was definitely one for the books.

SHY SHY SHY @JYPETWICE #TwiceinLA #KCON16LA 😭😭😭😍 pic.twitter.com/A1j3Yp0ekn— iHeartRadio (@iHeartRadio) August 1, 2016

3 of the biggest TWICE stans are showing UP tonight at #KCON16LA pic.twitter.com/zqOyjg3oEX— iHeartRadio (@iHeartRadio) August 1, 2016

Eric Nam and his stance on girls education will make you love him even more.

Who gave you the right to be so smooth and so adorable, @ericnamofficial? #KCON16LA pic.twitter.com/LzRlbYm1iA— iHeartRadio (@iHeartRadio) August 1, 2016

There's a lot of things we could say about Eric Nam. He's adorable, funny and sings like an angel. But his most angelic quality is his heart of gold. As the ambassador of the CJ UNESCO Girls Education campaign, Eric said this cause is dear to his heart. "[There are] 62 million girls around the world who don't have access to education, and our goal is to get that number as close to zero was we possibly can."

TTS celebrate Tiffany's birthday and 9 years of Girls' Generation!

TTS, a subunit of the main group 'Girls' Generation,' had a lot to look forward to when they hit the KCON stage. For starters, member Tiffany was celebrating her birthday in her hometown of Los Angeles and performed to a crowd full of fans and family members. Coincidentally, Girls' Generation will be celebrating the 9th anniversary of their debut this week. Their longevity is a feat that not all K-Pop groups get to achieve and is something that their fans (SONES, as they call themselves) do not take for granted.

The most anticipated performance of the night was BTS, and they delivered.

It was the end of the night and all of the other performers had graced the stage, except BTS. MCs Amber Liu from f(x) and Eric Nam could barely get a word in when it was time to introduce them. The jumping and screaming could be felt from the highest sections of the Staples Center.

Never seen anything like this before. @BTS_twt's introduction has the Staples Center SHAKING #KCON16LA pic.twitter.com/0U97gqrmBk— iHeartRadio (@iHeartRadio) August 1, 2016

The BTS Army was in full force. Their cheering all but drowned out the music and band's microphones for the remainder of the show. Interestingly, BTS had flown in to Los Angeles that morning (!) after performing a headlining concert in the Philippines. The boys showed no lack of endurance during their performance. Having fans screaming along from beginning to end certainly didn't hurt either.

And then @BTS_twt lit the Staples Center on FIRE #KCON2016LA pic.twitter.com/epnAjFE62d— iHeartRadio (@iHeartRadio) August 1, 2016

Photo Credit: CJ E&M