South Koreans bask in Oscar triumph for ‘KPop Demon Hunters’
2026-03-16 - 04:54
Much praise has been heaped on ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ director Maggie Kang, seen here with co-director Chris Appelhans and producer Michelle Wong, for her heartfelt acceptance speech. (AFP pic) SEOUL: South Korean fans and media basked in the success of “KPop Demon Hunters” on Monday after the film clinched two Oscars and added to the country’s growing pantheon of cultural hits. The fantasy flick, a clash of good versus evil drawing heavily on Korean mythology and driven by a pulsing K-pop soundtrack, won the Academy Awards for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song at Sunday’s ceremony in Hollywood. It had already built a massive global following, becoming the most-watched original film of all time on streaming giant Netflix, and hoovering up accolades including a Grammy for lead track “Golden”, the first such win for a K-pop song. South Koreans hailed their latest cultural product to infect the world with “K-syndrome” – the irresistible surrender to the country’s movies, music, books, fashion and cuisine. Much of the domestic reaction centred on Korean-Canadian co-director Maggie Kang’s emotional acceptance speech, with the Seoul-born filmmaker dedicating the prizes to her motherland. “For those of you who look like me, I’m so sorry that it took so long to see us in a movie like this,” the 44-year-old said while accepting the Oscar for Best Original Song. “But it is here,” she added, “trhat means the next generations don’t have to go long.” A headline in the Hankook Ilbo newspaper quoted Kang’s address directly, blaring: “This is for Korea and Koreans everywhere!” News channel YTN lavished praise on Kang’s “heartfelt message to Korea”, referring to the movie by its affectionate shorthand “Kedehun”, a combination of the title’s first three syllables. Netflix has already announced a sequel to ‘KPop Demon Hunters’, though no release date has yet been set. (EPA Images pic) The film’s dual Oscars triumph caps a remarkable run since its June release on Netflix. On the back of its blockbuster-style debut, the platform also released a limited “singalong” edition in North American cinemas for one weekend, which topped the box-office chart. Netflix has already announced a sequel, though no release date has been set. The film’s Grammy win for “Golden” was widely viewed as a breakthrough moment for K-pop, marking the genre’s first victory at an awards show that had eluded the industry despite its global popularity. The Best Song Oscar win for “Golden” was, however, slightly marred by the songwriting team – which consists of EJAE, Mark Sonnenblick, Joong Gyu Kwak, Yu Han Lee, Hee Dong Nam, Jeong Hoon Seo and Teddy Park — being cut off mid-acceptance speech while accepting their trophies.