Seoul’s Seongsu-dong, one of the capital’s trendiest neighborhoods, is about to get a heavy dose of Japanese pop culture this weekend.
From Friday to Sunday, an event dubbed J-POP.ZIP 2025 will take over Space S50, packing the sounds of Japan into a three-day festival hosted by Universal Music Japan, the powerhouse label behind some of the country’s biggest acts.
The three-day festival is billed as a music-and-culture campaign that “zips” the essence of J-pop for its Korean fans. Visitors can explore listening corners spotlighting J-pop, game zones featuring titles from renowned game developer SEGA and booths introducing Japanese travel destinations and regional specialties.
On Thursday, organizers previewed the festival at a media day held one day before its official kickoff. Tamotsu Asai, directing manager at Universal Strategic Marketing (USM), emphasized its role in connecting audiences.
“J-POP.ZIP is an experiential festival designed for Korean fans to engage with Japanese music. Last year’s debut received an enthusiastic response, and this year we are able to expand with support from public institutions and the participation of both Japanese and Korean artists,” he said.
“I hope it becomes a space where people discover the strengths of Japanese culture and build exchanges across borders.”
“J-POP.ZIP” features free listening corners spotlighting Japanese pop music. Captured from Instagram
At the heart of the festival is the Special Live Stage, which offers free DJ sets during the day and ticketed performances at night, featuring 24 artists from both Korea and Japan.
The first evening will spotlight Korean acts blah and Miso, alongside Japanese saxophonist Tomoaki Baba, who performed the lead role in the jazz anime film “Blue Giant.” Japanese band SEKAI NO OWARI will also appear at the opening ceremony, marking their first performance in Korea since 2019.
The second night brings WISUE, indie musician Minsu, former LOONA member Yves and GyoshiChii of rising Tokyo band Klang Ruler. The closing night presents Yeonwoo, Jueun of girl group DIA, singer-songwriter YonYon and Crystal Kay.
For emerging performers, the stage represents an important milestone.
“I’ve never performed abroad, so being able to appear alongside Japanese musicians is exciting,” Korean indie singer Minsu said. “It will be a day filled with their fans, so I want to meet that energy. I hope to perform in Japan one day.”
YonYon, who was born in Seoul and grew up in Tokyo, added, “This will be my first time performing in Korea. I create songs that weave together Korean and Japanese lyrics and I hope both audiences respond.”
J-POP.ZIP includes different merch zones and booths spotlighting Japanese pop music. Captured from Instagram
Beyond music, the festival will feature free listening boxes that provide immersive soundscapes, a lyric zone for photo shoots and an exhibition spotlighting 18 Universal Music artists.
Game and entertainment company SEGA will operate a booth with a silent disco themed around its iconic franchises Sonic the Hedgehog and the Persona series, along with previews of its latest games. Japan’s regional governments and tourism boards will also take part with cultural showcases, limited-edition merchandise and specialty food and drink.
Concluding the Thursday event, Asai reflected on J-pop’s growing popularity in Korea.
“At first, it was Japanese listeners who embraced K-pop. It may have taken some time, but now it seems that Koreans are beginning to embrace J-pop as well,” he said.
“I hope the charm of Japanese culture continues to spread, and that this space becomes a meaningful event where those exchanges take place.”
AloJapan.com