This weekend, the LA K-Pop Festival will bring some of the hottest acts in Korean pop music to the stage for a massive free concert. The LA K-Pop Festival will feature two of the most coveted groups for U.S. audiences, SHINee and 2PM. While SHINee just concluded successful tour appearances in Mexico and South America, the group has not delivered a full solo performance in the United States. Similarly, 2PM had one of their last major U.S. appearances in 2010, as the opening act for Wonder Girls. The most perplexing aspect of this situation for fans is the fact that groups such as B.A.P have delivered repeated performances in America since their debut.

Male groups, beyond the rookies.

While it would be wonderful to have the opportunity to see GOT7 or WINNER perform, it has been far too long since Super Junior, SHINee, and 2PM have appeared in the U.S. SHINee appeared alongside SISTAR, 4Minute, and TVXQ for the Billboard Korea KPop Masters concerts in 2011. It is difficult to comprehend that groups with some of the most established global fan bases have been absent from American audiences for so long. Although, the group made U.S. tour stops in 2012, Big Bang is definitely one of the most anticipated acts that should return to America. BTS is another group which has been tossed around by concert organizers, but has not yet been confirmed. With their progressive hip hop sound, BTS is a group with high potential to appeal to new fans of K-Pop.

So many guys, not enough girl groups.

The most obvious detail that can be picked out when looking at the roster of K-Pop concerts that  have been held in the past two years is the glaring under representation of girl groups. Such is the case with the LA K-Pop Festival which features four male groups (2PM, CNBLUE, INFINITE, SHINee) as opposed to only two female groups (Girl's Day, SISTAR). The situation was also similar with KCON 2013, with f(x) and Crayon Pop appearing. With the success of their comeback album and current tour, now is the perfect time for 2NE1 to return to America. Girls' Generation, 4Minute, and miss A are also girl groups whose dynamic performances appeal to audiences worldwide.

Showcases of actors who are vocalists.

Park Shin Hye will hopefully set a trend amongst actors when she kicks off her world tour by appearing at the second DramaFever Awards. Although, Korean drama has played a huge role in the American K-Pop community, actors rarely designate U.S. stops for fan engagements. Top actors such as Kim Soo Hyun, Lee Min Ho, and Jang Geun Suk incorporate elaborate costuming, sets, and vocals into their fan meetings. If Park Shin Hye is successful in stirring her U.S. fan base, it could potentially lead to showcases by other actors.

While there have been many K-Pop concerts in the past year, American fans continue to express their desire to see some of their favorite artists. The Korea Times Music Festival continues to expand their line up and KCON 2014 has yet to announce its performers. Are you attending the LA K-Pop Festival or any of the upcoming U.S. events? Who do you think should be the next artists to perform in America?