SEOUL: Netflix’s K-pop fantasy hit KPop Demon Hunters is on track to become the platform’s most-watched original film, its Korean-Canadian director Maggie Kang said Friday, describing it as a universal story about shame, acceptance, and identity.
The animated feature, launched in June, tells the story of a K-pop girl group descended from demon slayers, blending traditional Korean folklore with modern pop culture. It has already become Netflix’s most popular animated movie and the second most-watched film overall on the platform.
The film’s soundtrack is also breaking records, with the lead track “Golden” topping the Billboard Streaming Songs chart and surpassing even global K-pop icons BTS and BLACKPINK.
Kang, who moved to Canada from South Korea at age five, said she aimed to portray Korean culture authentically while exploring universal themes.
“Anywhere you go in the world, everybody wants the same things — love, security, acceptance,” Kang told reporters in Seoul. “When you tell a story that encompasses all of that, you reach a global audience.”
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Cultural Fusion and Global Impact
The movie fuses Korean demon lore, shamanic rituals, and Seoul landmarks with the global appeal of K-pop. It has inspired real-life singers such as Bada, Solji, and Ailee to upload their own covers of “Golden”, while even influencing the South Korean stock market, with shares of a frozen gimbap exporter rising due to its popularity.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung praised the film’s global success, pledging further support to Korean culture as a core national industry.
Kang credited influences ranging from 1990s K-pop legends H.O.T. and Seo Taiji and Boys to Oscar-winning filmmaker Bong Joon-ho, saying she wanted to create strong, relatable women on screen.
“I wanted to see a woman who isn’t afraid to look goofy or eat messily — honestly, I just wanted to see a woman like me,” she said.
With its mix of fantasy, folklore, and music, KPop Demon Hunters is being hailed as more than entertainment — a cultural milestone.
