South Korea celebrates miracle' Oscar wins for KPop Demon Hunters

"The animated fantasy won best animated feature and best original song at the Academy Awards. The Netflix hit became the platform's most-watched film, with more than 500m global views. The production was American, co-directed by Korean-Canadian Maggie Kang and featuring several Korean and Korean-American voice actors, but drew heavily on Korean aesthetics and traditional culture."

"Film critic Youn Sung-Eun told the Yonhap news agency that sweeping the Golden Globes, Grammys and Academy Awards showed that global audiences had recognised not just the popularity of KPop Demon Hunters, but its artistic merit. Pop culture critic Jung Duk-hyun also told Yonhap that the film represented a textbook case of elevating local culture to a global level."

"The Oscars ceremony also included a performance of the KPop Demon Hunters anthem Golden, which won the prize for best original song, featuring 24 dancers, pansori vocals and drumming, while stars including Leonardo DiCaprio, Steven Spielberg and Emma Stone were seen waving K-pop light sticks in the audience bringing Korean culture into the heart of Hollywood."

KPop Demon Hunters, an animated fantasy film, won best animated feature and best original song at the Academy Awards, sparking celebration in South Korea as a cultural achievement. The Netflix production became the platform's most-watched film with over 500 million global views. Though American-produced and co-directed by Korean-Canadian Maggie Kang, the film heavily incorporates Korean aesthetics and traditional culture. The film's success across major awards ceremonies demonstrates global audience recognition of both its popularity and artistic merit. The Oscar ceremony featured a performance of the film's winning song Golden with Korean cultural elements including pansori vocals and drumming, with Hollywood celebrities displaying K-pop light sticks, symbolizing Korean culture's presence at the ceremony.

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