Panel: Speak Yourself: Building Community Through K-Pop

Once viewed by outsiders as a niche subculture, K-Pop has evolved into a global powerhouse that shapes community building, activism and personal growth. Korean musical groups such as BTS have become a worldwide cultural force, transcending language, geography, and cultural barriers to redefine the relationship between artists and their audience.

This panel brings together a diverse group of professionals who have successfully integrated their passion for K-Pop into their personal and professional lives. Panelists will share their insights into what being a fan means to them and share firsthand accounts of how they build and foster community through their love of K-Pop. Q&A session to follow.

Todd Inoue (Hobi bias) is an award-winning Contributing Writer for the San Francisco Chronicle, covering music, arts, entertainment and Asian American issues. A lifelong Bay Area journalist that included 14 years on iTunes/Apple Music editorial teams, he has interviewed Stray Kids, Jackson Wang, Bini, Eric Nam, SB19, Tablo and many others. 

Vernadette Gonzalez is a Professor of Ethnic Studies at UC Berkeley and teaches courses on Asian American Studies and U.S. empire in Asia and the Pacific. She is co-editor of Bangtan Remixed: A Critical BTS Reader (Duke University Press 2024) and taught a freshman seminar on BTS. 

Jun Shao is an event producer, live events production specialist, and the Founder & Director of Events for 82ALLNIGHT, a non-profit collective dedicated to empowering the Bay Area AAPI community through fandom-focused K-Pop and Asian cultural events. Jun’s journey began with a deep love for K-Pop during its 1st and 2nd generation era with groups like Shinhwa, H.O.T., Big Bang, SHINee, Fin.K.L, Baby V.O.X, B.E.G. SNSD, and many others. Korean music became a personal bridge for Jun to reconnect with his Korean roots and explore his identity through the vibrant communities around him. Driven by a mission centered on advocacy, connection, and creating safe spaces for everyone, Jun launched 82ALLNIGHT in early May of 2023. Since then, he has brought together over 85,000 people across 45+ events in 8 Bay Area cities and even Southern California, partnering with teams like Oakland Roots SC, Crunchyroll, Fan Expo SF, and the Asian Art Museum to celebrate Asian culture and spotlight local talent. 

Stephanie Parker is a host of The Kpopcast podcast, celebrating 10 years of socially conscious & critical discussion covering the best sounds and ideas in K-Pop. Building on both a B.A. & M.A. in Media Studies at Stanford University, Stephanie published research about racial identity formation in online K-Pop fan communities and has pursued her passion professionally through work at media companies including YouTube, Viki, and SOOMPI.

This is a part of the Ride the Hallyu Wave series.