P1Harmony — a fourth-generation K-pop boy group comprising members Keeho, Theo, Jiung, Intak, Soul and Jongseob — was a featured act at KCON LA 2025, performing on the M Countdown Stage and Meet and Greet on Day 1 and Artists Stage on Day 3.

Many fans I spoke to at KCON told me that P1Harmony was a major reason for their attendance at KCON LA 2025. Their name came up unsolicited by me. Ann Marie Uy, 48, from LA, mentioned that she was excited to see many groups, including P1Harmony. Brooke Shelley, 22, of Ohio; Susan Gervais, 50, of Saskatchewan, Canada; and Landyn Wu, 22, of New Jersey, all named P1Harmony in their top three groups to see at KCON.

At Yale, my student Roxane Shaviro, 21, of Michigan and president of the K-pop dance cover group Yale Movement, previously told me that P1Harmony is her favorite group. This meant a lot to me since she is an avid K-pop fan.

I looked forward to meeting them, but having to do so at a mystery location further piqued my interest. They were kind and thoughtful despite having completed many print and TV interviews before mine. I’m a professor and not a journalist. Keeho even held my iPhone for me as I recorded our conversation while taking notes.

Leader Keeho hails from Toronto, Canada, and served as spokesperson and the primary English speaker. The group talked of their recent accomplishments, KCON and their upcoming tour.

I asked them about their first win on Music Bank in February 2024 for “Killin’ It.” Their genuine happiness and unscripted surprise were evident when I watched the Music Bank episode on TV. I love it when a group has its first win.

Keeho explained, “Yeah. Honestly, the awards, trophies, numbers — I don't think it's the most important thing when it comes to music or art. But a physical manifestation is evidence of how hard you worked — and the fans as well.” All the group members agreed they did not expect it. They won again on Music Bank in May 2025 for their latest single, “Duh.”

“Duh” begins with a warning siren, which serves as the hook for the song. A memorable point choreography was a hand wave with a thumb on the corner of the mouth and a slight sticking out of one’s tongue after every “Duh” in the song. Intak came up with the idea, and it is a fan favorite.

At the M Countdown concert on Day 1, cheers were loudest for P1Harmony, NCT 127 and Zerobaseone. They were greeted by thunderous applause despite their short 10-minute set. They performed two songs: “Pretty Boy” and “Duh,” along with their introduction, and a short dance as they moved from the audience section to the stage. They are veterans of KCON, and their popularity warrants more time during the main concerts.

Keeho, speaking of the crowd cheers, said, “Yeah, it was insane. It was really loud. We performed “Pretty Boy” and “Duh” for the first time outside of Korea here in America. When you go to events like KCON and the crowd includes a diverse group of fans, you never know what the response is going to be. What if no one knows the song when you can perform it? But, when we performed it, it was so loud. The crowd was so energetic. We worried that they’ll lose their voice, but it's such a good experience and a very good inspiration for me.” Jonseob adds, “We always look forward to the show.”

Things are especially busy for them. Keeho explained: “Our first show kicks off in Seoul on Aug. 9, so we have to fly back on Aug. 5. We have KCON and so many things in between, and we don’t have a full, blocked-out month where we can focus on prep. We have a hard-working and strong team that is also working behind closed doors. Even while we're here, they're in Korea making the final touches.”

Jiung added, "After we successfully finish our tour, we want to release more albums with fresh genres or fresh vibes. I'm interested in old R&B.”

Keeho also responded to a question about future solo projects by saying, “We would love to. I think one of the biggest goals we have as a group is to also have a lot of individuality. It's really important to stick together, but it's also important in a group to all have different characteristics, styles and charms. If you look at the Spice Girls, you know, everyone has their own thing. It's also really important for us to have our own characters and branch out and come back together even stronger.”

They wanted to say to their future fans that “our songs are energetic and youthful, but at the same time, very mature. It’s what makes our stages and performances fun as well, too.”

Since speaking with the members, their two sold-out shows on Aug. 9 and 10 at Korea University Hwajeong Gymnasium in Seoul have been well-received by music critics. The US leg of their upcoming tour begins in Newark, New Jersey, on Sept. 27.

Grace Kao

Grace Kao is an IBM professor of sociology and professor of ethnicity, race and migration at Yale University. The views expressed here are the writer’s own. — Ed.


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