Mayor Lee: "The World Is Swept by K-Culture"... Why He Brought Up "K-Pop Demon Hunters" at the Meeting

Lee Hyunjae Emphasizes the Need for Hanam to Lead the K-Culture Trend
Cites "Kedeheon" as a Core Engine Driving the Global Economy
Calls for Rapid Development of K-Star World Project and Content Strategy
Highlights Limitations of Overseas-Centered Profit Structure
Urges Officials to Prepare for Hanam’s Growth as a K-Culture Hub

At a weekly meeting held on the 21st, Lee Hyunjae, mayor of Hanam, mentioned the global hit "K-Pop Demon Hunters" (Kedeheon) and emphasized, "As K-culture has established itself at the center of global culture and the economy, Hanam City must also lead this trend through the K-Star World Project."

Lee Hyunjae, mayor of Hanam, is mentioning the global hit "K-Pop Demon Hunters" (Kedeheon) at a weekly meeting on the 21st. Provided by Hanam City

"K-Pop Demon Hunters," which was released on Netflix on June 20, ranked second among all films and first among children's films on Netflix in the United States, and reached number one in 11 countries, including South Korea.

The OST has also achieved remarkable results. The main track "Golden" reached number six on the Billboard Hot 100, proving the global influence of K-pop sound. It also topped the Billboard Global 200 and Global (excluding the US) charts, and is being mentioned as a potential nominee for next year's Academy Award for Best Original Song.

This phenomenon is spreading beyond music to the entire industry. Official Netflix merchandise has sold out, and the number of visitors to the National Museum Foundation's online shop surged 70-fold, from an average of 7,000 per day to 500,000 per day.

Regarding this, Mayor Lee stated, "What 'Kedeheon' has shown is not just the success of a single piece of content, but the fact that K-culture has become a core engine driving the global economy."

He continued, "However, since it was produced in Japan and serviced through an American platform, the profits go to them. While Korean artists and K-pop are at the center, we must face the reality that the profit structure is concentrated overseas, not in Korea."

In fact, the success of "Kedeheon" has led to a self-deprecating response that "Korea sows the seeds, but the US and Japan reap the harvest." While the work naturally incorporates Korean elements throughout and thus has a significant soft power effect, the limitations of the industrial structure remain clear. Experts point out that unless Korea establishes its own production and distribution systems, this kind of imbalance is likely to continue.

Mayor Lee stated, "We must learn from this case," and emphasized, "The K-Star World Project being promoted by Hanam City is a world-class complex cultural district that combines a K-pop concert hall, film studios, and more. We need to rapidly build the hardware and, at the same time, prepare a content development strategy."

Last year, Hanam City established the institutional foundation for large-scale projects by revising the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's guidelines for lifting development restrictions and introducing a fast-track for attracting foreign investment (reducing the process from 42 months to 21 months). Through this, the vision for a self-sufficient city has reached a turning point, being recognized as a feasible urban plan rather than just a concept.

The flagship project, K-Star World, is expected to create about 30,000 direct jobs and generate 2.5 trillion won in economic effects. This year, the project will enter the full-scale implementation phase through a public contest for private-sector operators.

Mayor Lee said, "K-Star World is Hanam's future strategy encompassing tourism, jobs, and the cultural industry," and urged, "The world will not wait. Opportunities go to cities that are prepared. I ask all public officials to join forces so that Hanam can grow into a K-culture hub that attracts global attention."