KOREAN NET

This year's Seoul Con will run from Dec. 28 through Jan. 1 at Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul's Dongdaemun-gu District. Shown is a scene from last year's event. (Seoul Business Agency)

By Koh Hyunjeong

This year's Seoul Con, an expo of global influencers promoting the lifestyle of the capital, will open this weekend.

The Seoul Business Agency (SBA) on Dec. 23 said it will host the event from Dec. 28 through Jan. 1 at Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul's Dongdaemun-gu District.

A combined 3,500 influencer teams will participate in this year's festival, 500 more than last year, with 25 programs and 17 sessions to globally showcase the capital.

Programs will be livestreamed worldwide including a K-pop concert, countdown event and fashion show combining the nation's fashion and beauty.

New to the gala this year is the Influencer X Corporate Matching Program. Under a "win-win" effect, businesses can gain more exposure for their products and expand sales channels, while influencers can find new content sources by using a variety of products.

SBA CEO Kim Hyun Woo said, "Seoul Con has created an influencer festival never before seen worldwide and presented a new framework."

Despite unexpected heavy snow, the inaugural event last year was an immense success, attracting 3,161 influencers from 58 countries and about 102,000 visitors.

hjkoh@korea.kr