KCON 2022 Panel Recap #2: “Inside Scoop with Jeff Benjamin”

K-pop reporter Jeff Benjamin began his KCON presentation by sharing his career backstory. He used to make up his own music charts, the “JJ Top 40,” (no, he does not know why he chose to add a second J to the name!), as a kid; he knew from an early age music was his passion. He originally went to school to study Music Business but then shifted his focus to Music Writing. After assists from a tough editor (whose hardcore attitude he appreciates in hindsight) and years of finding ways to incorporate K-pop into his music writing, the opportunities to cover K-pop overtly skyrocketed. As PSY released “Gangnam Style,” KCON began, and the music world’s attention turned to South Korea back in 2012, Jeff seized on that momentum.

Jeff advised others to connect to “their moment” too, knowing how to take advantage of an opportunity when it comes. He also stressed the importance of connecting “beyond the moment,” saying that rarely do writers have one big overnight sensation of a story. Far more often, writers “make it” after many incremental boosts in their reach and efforts. His other advice included developing social media marketing strategies to correspond with releasing write-ups and trusting that good, passion-driven pieces will outlive bad-faith ones.

After his presentation, he shared some interesting stories from his times interviewing K-pop stars. He recalled the time he almost got stuck in an elevator with BTS, the time Hoshi from SEVENTEEN screamed out his name during a virtual press conference, and the time Hongjoong from ATEEZ gave him a song spoiler during their interview, saying he recently found inspiration in the “Sunrise.” Speaking of ATEEZ, Jeff reflected on watching them perform in a small Brooklyn venue years ago and already getting the sense they were on their way to much bigger things. Sure enough, ATEEZ’s “It” factor has won over legions of fans and led to an upcoming arena tour!

Jeff’s stories reinforced how truly iconic KCON is as a place to meet and connect with others; numerous stories revolved around a run-in at KCON. Actually, his “#JeffBenjaminSelfie” posts started as a result of his time at KCON LA in 2015! He was looking for a less-awkward way to ask for a photo post-interviews and found asking for a selfie to be a good way to do that. A particularly funny memory from KCON was when he took a selfie with Eric Nam. They had been talking about his time on a frankly bizarre show, We Got Married, and Jeff recalled seeing Eric as someone who was “a weirdo” in the best way; he was “down to clown”!

When asked about his experiences interviewing SEVENTEEN (by yours truly, obviously!), Jeff recalled sensing their big ambitions from the beginning, when he talked to them during their first US tour in 2017. He was struck by the big goals they had, and it is exciting to think of how many of those have been achieved in the past five years!

The Q&A portion of the event was full of thoughtful questions. When asked about how he handles the “dark side” of fandom culture, Jeff said the pandemic put a lot into perspective for him, providing time to think and then the clarity to see what internet drama is worth - or, more often, not worth - getting hung up on, and he has been able to pay less attention to bad-faith attacks in recent years. 

When asked about differences he’s noticed among generations of K-pop artists, he said “second-generation” stars seemed to be more guarded in their responses. Now, artists who he revealed previously got into trouble for speaking about their company in a not-so-great light feel more free to speak the truth. He mentioned BTS’s RM’s recent comments about the rigidity that comes with the K-pop industry, and he said a major difference between K-pop and non-K-pop stars seems to be the public's willingness to permit them to learn and mature. 

Lastly, Jeff was asked if he prefers when a professional translator is involved, as opposed to when a band member serves as the translator for the others during an interview. He acknowledged the pros of both arrangements. While addressing the extra burden it can be for English-speaking members to also be translators during interviews with western media, he also said he finds it helpful when a fellow member does the translating; bandmates tend to more accurately and fully understand what their fellow members are trying to say. 

The final minutes of the panel were less deep. Jeff told a fun story about being asked to give feedback on Stray Kids subunit 3RACHA’s demos. He heard an early version of “MIROH,” which included an elephant noise that he suggested removing from the final cut. During this recollection, Jeff made sure to mention how much Bang Chan always expresses gratitude for honest feedback on his work. 

Overall, Jeff Benjamin’s panel was full of solid advice about K-pop reporting, fun stories of memories with the stars, and a thoughtful rumination on the media more broadly. 

For more KCON coverage, check out my podcast episode, convention review, concert review, photo diary, highlight video, other panel recap, and another piece coming to this newsletter later this week!

Disclosure: Jeff was previously on an episode of 17 Carat K-Pop and is a friend of the show! However, I have tried to write this panel recap with objectivity! I found it to be a really worthwhile panel and a great opportunity to hear his insights!