"We Shine Like Gold":
K-Pop Demon Hunters Sets Global Records
Music, Fandom, and Korean Culture
Drive the 'Hallyu 4.0' Phenomenon
A scene where the girl group Huntrix sings the theme song "Golden" in "K-Pop Demon Hunters." Photo by Netflix
"We dreamed with all our might, and we've come this far. Now believe. Unbreakable forever. We are destined to shine like gold."
Just like the lyrics of the OST theme song "Golden," the Netflix animated film "K-Pop Demon Hunters" is creating a golden sensation worldwide.
According to Netflix on August 14, as of the previous day, "K-Pop Demon Hunters" had accumulated 184.6 million views and 307.6 million viewing hours. For four consecutive weeks after its release, it surpassed 26 million weekly plays, ranking second among all Netflix films. If this trend continues, it is expected to soon surpass the record set by "Red Notice" (230.9 million views), which currently holds the top spot.
◆Music, Fandom, Story: The Three Pillars of Success= One of the driving forces behind its popularity was the "music." The OST theme song "Golden" topped the UK Official Singles Chart on August 1, and on August 11, it reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100. Within five weeks of release, it recorded 68.2 million streams and 72,000 downloads, with weekly UK streams exceeding 9.8 million. This marks the first time a K-pop song has simultaneously dominated both the UK and US charts.
The film delivers a positive message: "Responding to hate with hate is meaningless." It conveys the theme that hope, discovered by overcoming self-hatred, can save the world.
From its planning stage, "K-Pop Demon Hunters" had a clear target audience-directly aiming at women in their teens and twenties, who make up the primary consumer base of the K-pop industry. In the domestic entertainment industry, there is a saying: "Success comes from mobilizing the female fandom." This means that, regardless of whether the idols are male or female, the purchasing power and engagement of female fans determine the market's success or failure.
According to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), US K-pop fans spend 75% more on music per month than average listeners. Their activity on social networking services (SNS), merchandise purchase rates, and concert attendance frequency are also significantly above average. Director Maggie Kang stated, "I was inspired during the pandemic by seeing BTS's 'Butter' receive love from all over the world."
◆'K-Culture Fever' Driven by Korean Details= At the heart of this success was, without a doubt, "K-pop." Pop culture critic Kim Heonshik analyzed, "The success of 'K-Pop Demon Hunters' lies not only in the musical perfection of K-pop but also in its fandom-driven storytelling that blends reality and virtuality. The characters and songs become the core of the universe, allowing the audience to identify with the protagonists and themselves, which draws out the core fandom's affection and leads to global chart domination."
The film naturally incorporates elements of everyday Korean life, such as gimbap, saunas, hanbok, and hanok. The production team conducted thorough research to authentically portray Korean traditions and daily life. In particular, the scene where the girl group Huntrix members scrub themselves at a public bathhouse became a hot topic, leading to a roughly 90% increase in sales at body scrub shops in areas like Myeong-dong compared to the previous month.
Recently, in the US, short-form videos have popularized gimbap and tteokbokki as common snacks, while jjimjilbangs, K-beauty, and K-fashion have spread as Gen Z cultural trends. According to travel platform Booking.com, in June-when K-pop concerts are concentrated-global searches for Seoul and Busan increased by 30% and 50%, respectively. Professor Seo Kyungduk of Sungshin Women's University stated, "The depiction of public bathhouses in 'K-Pop Demon Hunters' has attracted attention as travel content, contributing to the expansion of tourism resources."
◆Merchandise, Tourism, Platforms... The Completion of 'Hallyu 4.0'= The tiger and magpie characters, which appear as pets in the film, have become "merchandise superstars." K-pop fandoms have a strong tendency to consume everything related to the content. The desire to "own" translates into merchandise purchases, even benefiting institutions like the National Museum of Korea.
On weekends, long lines form at the National Museum of Korea an hour before opening, and the number of visitors has increased by about 92% compared to the same period last year. In particular, the "Magpie Tiger Badge" and "Gat String Pen," both resembling the tiger character "Duffy" from the film, are especially popular. The Washington Post evaluated, "K-Pop Demon Hunters has established a consumption structure that connects film, music, merchandise, and tourism."
The government has also cited "K-Pop Demon Hunters" as a representative case of "Hallyu 4.0." Presidential Chief of Staff Kang Hoonshik stated, "After the drama-centered 1.0, the expansion of K-pop and dramas in 2.0, and the global platform expansion of 3.0, we have now entered the 4.0 era, where the entire industry is integrated and real-time cultural exchange continues. This is an opportunity that will be hard to come by again."
Hallyu 4.0 is a stage where content consumption does not end with the content itself but expands into other industries. Once global platforms lay the foundation, K-pop and K-culture lower entry barriers overseas, and characters and products generate long-term revenue. According to the Korea Creative Content Agency, global sales of K-pop-related IP (intellectual property) businesses have grown by an average of 17% annually over the past five years.
Critic Kim commented, "'K-Pop Demon Hunters' is an example of explosive growth, captivating even the youth demographic based on a powerful K-pop core fandom. Voluntary spread through SNS and the limitless expansion into merchandise, fashion, and tourism create a strong lock-in effect. Now, Korea needs to take the lead in this fandom-driven economic trend and develop strategies to design additional revenue streams and industry expansion on its own."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
