KCON:TACT season 2 – CJ Group holds pop-up classes with K-POP artists to help UNESCO ensure #LearningNeverStops

As schools shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic, girls have been particularly impacted and more at risk of losing out on their education. CJ and UNESCO are working together to ensure #LearningNeverStops, and to help girls continue learning and return to school when these reopen.

After a successful first season of KCON:TACT (global celebration of Korean culture and pop music) held online last June drawing 4 million viewers from 150 countries, its second season kicked off last week running from 16 to 25 October on Mnet K-Pop and KCON official.

This second season includes a new concept entitled “Pop-up Class” in which K-POP artists EVERGLOW, Kim Dong Hyun (AB6IX), Lee Eun Sang, VERIVERY, WEi, Cho Seung Youn (WOODZ), interpreter An Hyunmo and magician Choi Hyun Woo provide courses for fans in areas such as magic, language and sports.

The pop-up classes demonstrate the importance of education and continuity of learning especially during the COVID-19 crisis. KCON:TACT fans can support UNESCO’s efforts to ensure learning never stops for girls around the world by making a donation through YouTube’s SuperChat and SuperSticker.

“This campaign is an extension of the CJ-UNESCO Girls’ Education Campaign, which aims to address the lack of access to quality education faced by girls in developing regions via CJ’s significant media outreach and influence”, said Heekyung Jo Min, Executive Vice-President of Corporate Shared Value at CJ Group. “With the interest and support of K-pop fans, we hope that girls will continue their education and return to school after COVID-19.”

In addition to helping raise awareness for girls’ education, CJ Group’s entertainment subsidiary CJ ENM will donate a portion of its proceeds from fan engagement during the event and membership sales to benefit UNESCO’s efforts to ensure every girl continues learning amid the COVID-19 crisis.

Co-hosted by CJ ENM and the Korean Creative Content Agency (KOCCA), KCON:TACT 2020 season 2 features live concerts, meet & greets with top artists andbehind-the-scene content. Utilizing Augmented Reality (AR), Mixed Reality (MR), and eXtended Reality (XR) technology, the event will continue to push the limits of what is possible with virtual entertainment and strengthen the ways fans at home can engage as a live audience.

At its peak, over 1.5 billion learners, or over 90% of the world’s student population, have seen their education disrupted and for some interrupted due to COVID-19 related school closures. UNESCO’s Global Education Coalition safeguards learning for all amid this crisis, with a focus on gender equality, connectivity and teachers.

Since 2014, the UNESCO-CJ partnership aims to provide a better educational environment and a brighter future for girls through education. CJ Group is a major contributor to the UNESCO Malala Fund for Girls’ Right to Education, which expands girls’ access to quality education, especially in countries affected by crisis. This strong, sustainable and innovative partnership has been instrumental to raise awareness about, and advocate for, girls’ education.