"Kpop Demon Hunters" Mentioned
at South Korea-U.S.-Japan Trilateral Meeting
Vice Minister Park Eases Tension
with Animated Film Reference
At the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) Foreign Ministers' Meeting held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on July 11 (local time), the animated film "Kpop Demon Hunters" reportedly became a topic of discussion during the trilateral foreign ministers' meeting between South Korea, the United States, and Japan. On this day, Vice Minister Park held a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Mark Rubio and Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya for approximately 40 minutes.
According to Yonhap News on July 11, at the end of the meeting, which had focused on serious discussions regarding issues such as North Korea, Park Yoonjoo, First Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, brought up "Kpop Demon Hunters."
"Kpop Demon Hunters" is a musical animation featuring the popular girl group Huntrix as the main characters, who protect the human world from evil spirits. The story depicts Huntrix competing for popularity with the boy group Lion Boys, who originate from the world of evil spirits, and the process of uncovering their true identities.
It is reported that Vice Minister Park eased the awkward atmosphere at the meeting by mentioning "Kpop Demon Hunters." Park noted that "Kpop Demon Hunters" was produced by Sony Pictures, an entertainment subsidiary established in the United States by Japan's Sony, with K-pop as its theme, and has spread worldwide through the U.S. streaming platform Netflix. This was intended to highlight trilateral cooperation among South Korea, the United States, and Japan by referencing the recent global popularity of "Kpop Demon Hunters."
Secretary Rubio reportedly responded that he had not yet seen "Kpop Demon Hunters," asking, "Is it similar to (the Netflix series) Squid Game?" He also mentioned that he had greatly enjoyed watching Squid Game. Japanese Foreign Minister Iwaya, who was present, also reportedly said, "I like K-pop too."
Park Yoonjoo, First Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs (right), held a meeting on the 11th in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, with U.S. Secretary of State Mark Rubio and Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya. Provided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Immediately following the South Korea-U.S.-Japan foreign ministers' meeting, at the East Asia Summit (EAS) Foreign Ministers' Meeting, Park and Secretary Rubio, who were seated next to each other, were seen having a friendly conversation for about 30 seconds just before the start of the meeting.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the three foreign ministers reaffirmed their commitment to the complete denuclearization of North Korea on this day. They agreed to maintain strong deterrence against North Korea based on close trilateral cooperation and to further expand security cooperation among the three countries. Vice Minister Park also explained efforts to ease tensions and resume dialogue between North and South Korea, and called for close cooperation with the United States and Japan.
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