KCON USA addresses “exclusionary” job listing on gig platform

K-pop festival KCON USA has released a statement regarding an “exclusionary” job posting for event staff.

On July 18, a Twitter user uploaded a screenshot of a job listing on Backstage, a gig-finding platform for entertainment industry events, which soon went viral among K-pop fans.

The listing stated that it is looking for staff for a KCON convention – presumably its upcoming Los Angeles event – going on to specify that it is looking for female applicants of Asian and White/European descent. The listing was later updated to include male applicants and all ethnicities, but was eventually removed from the platform altogether.

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Following backlash online, KCON USA released a statement several hours later on Twitter claiming that they “have not authorised nor endorsed” the posting, and are “actively investigating the origin and responsible party behind this unauthorised and exclusionary posting”.

“We strongly denounce any actions of racial profiling or any form of discrimination whatsoever, and indeed this runs counter to the very core spirit of KCON where inclusivity and diversity is celebrated,” it said, adding that it would be taking action to prevent such instances related to the festival.

However, netizens remain unconvinced that KCON were unaware of the content of the job posting, with some continuing to request refunds from the organisers. Others have also criticised the company for only responding after the screenshot of the job listing went viral.

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