AT RAINFALL COMING LATER THIS WEEK. COMING UP. ALL RIGHT. WE ARE AT THE END OF ASIAN AMERICAN PACIFIC ISLANDER MONTH IN TONIGHT’S PROJECT COMMUNITY. WE’RE TALKING TO WHETHER WE’RE TAKING A LOOK AT THE IMPACT K-POP HAS HAD ON GROWING FAN BASES HERE IN CENTRAL IOWA. AND AS FANS TELL KCCI KAYLA JAMES, IT’S MORE THAN JUST A MUSIC OR A GENRE. K-POP HAS BECOME A WAY TO BRING PEOPLE OF ALL BACKGROUNDS TOGETHER AND INTRODUCE THEM TO SOMETHING NEW. MAKE SOME NOISE FOR BTS. T THINK I’LL WIN HOOLIGANS. WHETHER IT’S AT MUSIC AWARDS SHOWS OR ON SOCIAL MEDIA APPS, YOU CAN’T DENY THE GLOBAL LOVE FOR K-POP CONTINUES TO GROW. IT’S JUST AN EXPRESSION OF LIKE, DIFFERENT MUSIC. IT’S REALLY BECOMES MORE OF A LIFESTYLE RATHER THAN JUST A GENRE OF MUSIC. THE LOVE AND APPRECIATION FOR K-POP AND THE CULTURE SURROUNDING IT MANIFESTS IN DIFFERENT WAYS, FROM FANS USING THEIR SKILLS TO CELEBRATE THEIR FAVORITE GROUPS. I MET CHILDREN’S BOOK ILLUSTRATOR AND STORES FULLY DEDICATED TO K-POP, POPPING UP WITH MUCH TO OFFER LIKE LITTLE PLUSHIE AND KEYCHAINS. LIKE MINI STUDIOS, K-POP AND GIFTS. IN WEST DES MOINES, THE STORE OPENED UP ON A CHILLY FEBRUARY DAY LAST YEAR. IT WAS QUITE A SHOCK TO SEE PEOPLE LINING UP FOR US OUT THE DOOR ON OUR GRAND OPENING DAY, BUT IT WASN’T THE LONG LINES IN THE WINTER WEATHER THAT SHOCKED OWNERS EMILY AND JAMES LYNN WEREN’T SURE IF THERE WAS A LOT OF K-POP FANS HERE. THERE WASN’T REALLY ANY REAL INDICATOR THAT PEOPLE IN IOWA ENJOYS K-POP. A YEAR LATER, MEN’S STUDIOS, K-POP AND GIFTS HAS HELPED CHANGE THAT PERCEPTION. I ALWAYS GET REALLY HAPPY WHEN I SEE CUSTOMERS COME IN AND THEY HAVE ONE OF MY PHOTO CARD HOLDERS ON THEIR BAG. FROM KOREAN COSMETICS TO TRINKETS, THEY LIKE TO DECORATE THEIR BAGS AND PUT THEM ON THEM TO DECORATIONS AND PAPER PRODUCTS MADE BY EMMA. AND OF COURSE, THE MUSIC. WE TRY TO KEEP EACH SECTION OF A SHELF FOR ONE K-POP GROUP. EMMA AND JAMES HAVE WATCHED THAT THEIR SHOP HAS BECOME MORE THAN JUST A STOREFRONT. THERE WAS JUST A LACK OF LIKE A PHYSICAL SPACE FOR FANS TO COME AND MEET AND CONNECT WITH ONE ANOTHER. SO. I JUST KIND OF WANTED TO BE THAT PERSON TO PROVIDE THE SPACE AND K-POP FANS, JAMES SAYS, ARE GETTING TO ALSO LEARN. WITH K-POP, WE’RE KIND OF LIKE ENTERING INTO AN ERA WHERE PEOPLE ARE GETTING TO EXPERIENCE DIFFERENT CULTURE IN A WAY THAT PEOPLE HAVEN’T BEEN ABLE TO IN THE PAST, K-POP FANS SAY SOCIAL MEDIA PLAYS A HEAVY ROLE IN THAT IMMERSION. WITH TIKTOK, THERE’S LIKE TRENDS NOW AND THEN. PEOPLE, THEY TEND TO DO LIKE THESE TRENDS WITHOUT KNOWING THE LIKE THE ORIGIN. AND THEN ONCE THEY FOUND OUT, THEY’RE LIKE, OH, THIS IS ACTUALLY KIND OF GOOD MUSIC DID COME FROM SOUTH KOREA. OUT OF THE TRENDS, K-POP FANS LINED UP IN DES MOINES FOR A CONCERT IN MID MAY FOR K-POP GROUP CAMPERS, AND ONE SHARING THE IMPACT KOREAN CULTURE HAS HAD ON THEM. IT’S REALLY INTERESTING TO SEE THE DIFFERENCES IN LANGUAGES, ESPECIALLY LIKE HOW SENTENCES ARE STRUCTURED AND STUFF LIKE THAT. I CAN LIKE EXPRESS MY MYSELF WITH MY WARDROBE. FOR ME PERSONALLY, IT WAS A WAY TO GET INTO THE ASIAN COMMUNITY. I’M ADOPTED, SO I’M NOT REALLY HAVE ANY LIKE PEOPLE THAT ARE LIKE, LOOK LIKE ME. SO I’M LIKE, OH, THIS IS A WAY FOR ME TO SEE PEOPLE WHO LOOK LIKE ME. IT’S COMMON THAT K-POP POP UP EVENTS, OR IN THE LINES OF CONCERTS, FANS MEET FOR THE FIRST TIME. WE MET IN LINE AT LIKE 5 A.M. AND IMMEDIATELY BECOME FRIENDS. A SENSE OF TOGETHERNESS AND ACCEPTANCE THAT COMES WITH K-POP CULTURE. EVERYBODY COMES FROM DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS BECAUSE, LIKE, THERE’S SO MANY DIFFERENT VARIETY OF BETWEEN LIKE EVERY K-POP STAN. SO LIKE YOU MEET NEW PEOPLE THAT YOU WOULDN’T EVEN LIKE, REALLY THINK THAT YOU’D MEET FOR SO MANY PEOPLE. K-POP IS MORE THAN MUSIC. WHEN I WANT TO LIKE. AVOID, LIKE ANYTHING THAT’S UPSETTING ME, LIKE IT HELPS CALM ME DOWN. IT’S MORE THAN A GENRE. THERE’S A CULTURE SURROUNDING K-POP THAT MAKES FANS FEEL COMFORTABLE, AND AT THEIR BEST, I CAN FEEL MORE OF MYSELF WITH THIS COMMUNITY, WHIC

K-pop culture finds home in central Iowa as fans build community beyond the music

Updated: 6:40 PM CDT Jun 5, 2026

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K-pop’s global rise is expanding beyond award shows and social media feeds. In central Iowa, fans say it has become something much bigger than music. For many, K-pop is a lifestyle, a creative outlet and a gateway to community, fashion and culture.That passion and more is on display at Mins Studios K-pop and Gifts in West Des Moines, owned by Emma Lee and James Lin. They opened up their shop in February 2025, a time when they say they weren’t sure a strong K-pop fan base existed.However, they now see passionate fans walk through their doors every day shopping for albums, cosmetics, stationery, handmade accessories and items tied to their favorite groups.“There was just a lack of physical space for fans to come and meet and connect with one another,” Lee said. “I just kind of wanted to be that person to provide the space.” That sense of belonging has also grown at concerts and pop-up events, where strangers meet in line and quickly become friends. They’re brought together by a shared love of the music and the culture around it.Fans say K-pop’s appeal also comes from the way it opens doors to self-expression and cultural discovery through music, fashion, language and online trends. Many say they have found both a deeper appreciation for Korean culture and a stronger sense of themselves.For many fans, K-pop is more than a genre — it brings comfort and connection.Watch the video above to see how that community is growing in Iowa.

DES MOINES, Iowa —

K-pop’s global rise is expanding beyond award shows and social media feeds. In central Iowa, fans say it has become something much bigger than music. For many, K-pop is a lifestyle, a creative outlet and a gateway to community, fashion and culture.

That passion and more is on display at Mins Studios K-pop and Gifts in West Des Moines, owned by Emma Lee and James Lin. They opened up their shop in February 2025, a time when they say they weren’t sure a strong K-pop fan base existed.

However, they now see passionate fans walk through their doors every day shopping for albums, cosmetics, stationery, handmade accessories and items tied to their favorite groups.

“There was just a lack of physical space for fans to come and meet and connect with one another,” Lee said. “I just kind of wanted to be that person to provide the space.”

That sense of belonging has also grown at concerts and pop-up events, where strangers meet in line and quickly become friends. They’re brought together by a shared love of the music and the culture around it.

Fans say K-pop’s appeal also comes from the way it opens doors to self-expression and cultural discovery through music, fashion, language and online trends. Many say they have found both a deeper appreciation for Korean culture and a stronger sense of themselves.

For many fans, K-pop is more than a genre — it brings comfort and connection.

Watch the video above to see how that community is growing in Iowa.