Behind K-Pop Demon Hunters Syndrome : Koreanism

Last weekend, I enjoyed watching the Netflix movie 'K-Pop Demon Hunters (KDH)' with my children.
It was a 'gift set' full of Korean culture, including the familiar scenery of Seoul in the anime, the lifestyle and food of Koreans, the familiar girl group Huntrix, Namdol (Saja Voice) wearing a lampshade with the concept of the 'Grim Reaper', the tiger and magpie inspired by Korean traditional folk tales, the Ilwol Obondo symbolizing the king, the indoor scenery overlooking the Han River, the fortress road of Naksan Park in Dongseong-dong, and cup noodles.

This animation, which is all 'Korean', was not made in Korea. It is an American film made in the United States with American capital. It was produced by 'Sony Pictures', which became a masterpiece animation studio with its unique mise-en-scène and directing while making Spider-Man, and it is quickly spreading to homes and smartphones around the world on the global streaming platform Netflix.

It is a film directed by Korean director Maggie Kang, who was born in Korea, immigrated to Toronto, Canada, graduated from college in the United States, and works for a famous animation studio.  

Since its release, KDH has been ranked No. 1 on Netflix in 26 countries and has entered the top 10 in 93 countries.  The OST album debuted at No. 8 on the Billboard 200 chart, making it the highest-performing soundtrack released this year . This shows that Kedeheon is becoming a global cultural phenomenon beyond just a content success.  

Korean director Maggie Kang, who directed the K-pop Demon Hunters, defines the film as a "Korean film" It is 100% American capital and made in English, and although he is Canadian, the content and essence are based on Korea and Koreans.

Director Meggie Kang said, "This film is made in English, but culturally it is 100% Korean. I'm even more proud because I made it in English. It means that Korean culture has expanded to that extent."

Director Maggie Kang used the expression 'Koreanism' for this.  

Corianism can be interpreted in a variety of ways. Just as it is used in the fashion field to mean 'Korean patterns' and Jews have 'Zionism', 'Koreanism' of Koreans also refers to the identity and characteristics of Koreans.

The Koreanism that director Megi refers to is a cultural worldview that puts Korean emotions, traditions, reactions, and emotions at the center of his creation, and expresses them in the language of global pop culture (English, pop music, animation, drama, etc.).

In an interview with Meggi, he said of Koreanism, "As Korean as possible." It was a creative strategy to design all creative starting points, emotional lines, and details in the most Korean way and implement them in the languages of countries around the world, that is, their own languages.

He shared his review of the production, saying, "Our characters speak English, but the animators made the mouth shape like our characters speak Korean."

So I drew all the characters' reactions in the style that Koreans usually do, and combined K-pop and shamanism.

In addition, detailed cultural elements such as folk tales, traditional foods, and characters' gestures are connected to the modern pop genre. Tradition interpreted it not as a stuffed past, but as a living narrative asset.

For director Maggie Kang, Koreanism is not just about adding Korean elements, but also about (1) making works that are essentially Korean even if they are produced in English, (2) embodying Korean sensibilities and methods in every detail, (3) pursuing an in-depth understanding and accurate expression of Korean culture, and (4) showing the power of Korean culture through a global language.

If you walk around Seoul now, you can easily find foreign tourists taking subways and buses. It is difficult to use public transportation in Seoul because of language, payment, and maps, but foreign tourists now easily use public transportation by downloading 'Naver Map' and using transportation cards purchased in Korea or prepaid cards secured through various routes.

I try to think and act like Koreans as much as possible, just like they saw on Netflix or in movies.

It is true that the most Korean thing is the most global. However, if we want to become a platform that does not stay only in Korea, and if we want to create added value such as job creation that eventually leads to an 'industry', we need to make it the most Korean, but the format must be global and reinterpreted.

The government has supported Korean animation to be made in Korea and exported to the world, but now if you make American animation with Korean content, it is also Korean animation.  

In this way, Korean culture is evolving from an imitator of Western culture to a global creator. The last 30 years have been a miracle of history, from being a faithful learner of Western culture to standing tall as a global stand.

The History of K-Culture through Koreanism

✅ Faithful Learners of Western Culture (1990s-Early 2000s): Trainees in the Korean Cultural Industry

In the 1990s, South Korea was an avid learner of Western (and Japanese culture). I learned how to make movies by watching Hollywood movies, and I listened to pop songs to keep up with music trends.

The keyword of Korean cultural content during this period was 'benchmarking'. But it wasn't just an imitation. While adopting the form of Western culture, they began to add Korean sentiments little by little. 'What is Love' is a representative example. Although it borrowed the format of American home dramas, it was evaluated as a period drama with the emotions and humor of a Korean family.

It is a process of analyzing and learning from Western models of success and gradually adding our own colors."

During this period, Korean culture was a great success in Asia. In 2000, "Winter Sonata" aired on NHK and shook the Japanese archipelago. It was unimaginable at the time to see the grammar of Western romance dramas reinterpreted with Korean sentiments and was well received by middle-aged Japanese women, and they were enthusiastic about Yong-joon Bae "Yon-sama." During the same period, first-generation idols such as H.O.T. and S.E.S. benchmarked the idol systems of the United States and Japan, but they also created a unique charm by adding Korean sword dance and fandom culture. It becomes the prototype of today's K-pop syndrome.

✅ Establishment of Korean Identity (Mid-2000s-2010s): The Birth of Hallyu

In 2005, Korean cultural content was named 'Hallyu'. It is a word that was coined when Korean cultural products passed beyond Japan to China and easily swept across the continent. It was recognized as a cultural phenomenon beyond a simple trend. It is a time when Korean culture is changing from a passive recipient of Western culture to a creator.

The drama 'Daejanggeum' has been aired in more than 70 countries around the world, establishing the genre of 'K-drama'.

This work, which is based on court medicine and cuisine in the Joseon Dynasty, succeeded in differentiating itself by showing the depth of Korean traditional culture.

During this time, K-pop evolved to a completely different level. The second generation of idols, including TVXQ, Super Junior, Girls' Generation, and Wonder Girls, created a completely different system from the existing Western pop.

A systematic trainee system, perfect choreography and visuals, a strong fandom culture, and global communication using social media have completed the unique model called the 'K-pop formula'.

In 2009, Wonder Girls entered the Billboard Hot 100, and in 2011, "Gangnam Style" caused a worldwide syndrome. Korean culture has begun to transcend the regional limits of Asia and be recognized as truly global content. In particular, 'Gangnam Style' is a content that people around the world can enjoy together while bringing Korea's regional characteristics (Gangnam) to the forefront. It can be evaluated as an example of the prototype of the Korean strategy.

✅ Riding Netflix into the World (Late 2010s-Present)

With BTS topping Billboard and the 2019 film "Parasite" winning four Academy Awards, Korean culture took a new turn. Now, he has confidence that what is Korean can become a global standard. The key was to reinterpret traditional Korean culture in a modern way, but without compromising its essence.

BTS' music video for 'IDOL' naturally combines traditional Korean mask dance and modern dance. The movie 'Parasite' sublimated the extremely local subject of class conflict in Korean society into a universal human drama.

What is even more noteworthy is that global capital, led by Netflix, has begun to accept the original form of Korean culture. In the past, Korean companies focused on localization for Western markets, but now foreign capital is starting to want Korean things.

A typical example is Netflix's huge investment in 'Squid Game', 'Kingdom' to keep Korean storytelling intact. This is the moment when Korean culture is not an object of localization but a source of global trends. Foreign capital, such as Netflix, played a role in preserving and spreading the original form of Korean culture.

During this period, K-pop and K-dramas began to blossom in various fields.

K-beauty has dominated the global market with its unique beauty culture, such as 10-step skincare and cushion foundation. In 2023, South Korea's cosmetics exports reached a record high of $10.2 billion, with the United States becoming the second-largest exporter with $1.9 billion. The same goes for K-food.

✅ Korean Culture Leaps to the Global Standard (Present-Future)

Korean culture is at the beginning of a four-stage evolution. The era of Korean becoming the global standard is opening.

'K-Pop Demon Hunters' symbolically shows this change. It was made with American capital and technology, but the content is thoroughly Korean. The imagination of the Grim Reaper becoming a K-pop idol and the Good becoming a concert can only come from Korea.

What is even more interesting is that the "reverse culture propagation" is beginning. In the past, Korea studied Western culture, but now they want to learn Korean culture abroad. It is in the same vein that foreigners enjoy Korean KBO baseball stadiums.

The number of Korean language learners is also increasing rapidly. According to Duolingo, Korean is the seventh most studied language in the world in 2023. Foreigners who became interested in Korean culture through K-pop and K-dramas began to learn Korean directly.

The key to Phase 4 is the transformation of cultural soft power into real economic value. Interest in Korean culture is leading to investment and acquisitions beyond simple consumption.

A typical example is Jun Oh Hair's negotiations with Blackstone, the world's largest private equity fund, for a sale worth 800 billion won. It is in the same vein that Jollibee, the largest food service company in the Philippines, is acquiring Korea's 'Compose Coffee' and 'Yellow Tong Chicken' one after another. Korean brands themselves are recognized as 'bargain' investments.

Expanding Koreanism into a management strategy, it becomes a systematic methodology for entering the U.S. market based on the philosophy of "global in form, but Korean in spirit." It is a strategy that creates a unique competitive advantage by reinterpreting it according to the language and system of the American market without compromising Korean essence and values.

This is a strategy to secure competitive advantage through cultural differentiation beyond simple localization. You can find examples in K-food and K-beauty.

I met Simon Kim, the CEO of Flower COTE, one of the best steak houses in New York.  
We asked him about the reason for the K-food craze he sees and the secret of the success of flowers. We also asked about the prospects of K-food.  

CEO Kim's 꽃 COTE is one of the most difficult restaurants to make a reservation at in New York. Korean galbi is reinterpreted in an American way. Kim Si-joon's flower is also ' a global language of Korean lifestyle... It is a representative case of 'Koreanism'.  

He said, "Korean culture is amazing. If you do localization well, the opportunities are endless," he said, citing 'steamed eggs' as an example of 'localization'. CEO Kim reinterpreted the steamed egg as 'Savory Egg Soufflé' instead of 'Steamed Egg' and put it on the menu.  The puffiness and cheesy texture of the custard egg custard is like a soufflé, which is why it has been redefined as a savory soufflé.  

Kim said, "We need to change the way we explain things, not the food. That's localization." "The key to success is to package Korean food in a way that people think is luxurious, but to keep the essence intact."  It is consistent with the secret of Kang's success in KDH

CEO Ha Hyung-seok's Memebox is planning to launch its second K-beauty brand 'Ulta' this summer.

What was surprising was that Ulta invited me to go to the BLACKPINK concert in July with Ulta executives and influencers in LA to celebrate. Ulta executives said, "We are very excited to celebrate the launch of the K-beauty brand with K-pop performances." Ulta executives will fly from Chicago, where the company is headquartered, to Los Angeles at their own expense.  

To commemorate the launch of Memibox, which is one of the small brands managed by Ulta, they will fly from Chicago to Los Angeles to experience K-beauty and K-pop at the same time. About 10 years ago, K-beauty was a cold rice not only for American retailers but also for investors, but now  tech investors are flocking to beauty.

In Korea, every investor I meet talks about 'beauty', and in the US, I talk about 'AI'. Looking at these two phenomena, Ha is convinced that "if there is AI in the United States, there is beauty in Korea."  

This is Memebox CEO Ha Hyung-seok's contribution to The Milk . 

In Koreanism, the basis of creation (production) is 'Korean', but the form can be defined as 'the most global'. However, it is not easy to change to the local language.

Moreover, it is not easy to be born and raised in Korea and enter the global market, especially the American market. However, you can do it even if you live in the United States or are not a 'Korean'.  

This is why Kim So-young, director of the Center for Innovation and Design Research (SCIDR) at Stanford University , has been running the 'K Consumer Accelerator Program' for the past two years.  He has watched and nurtured numerous startups in the United States, but the first thing Kim emphasized is a 'strong localized brand' .

He points out that many Korean K-beauty brands are currently staying in the short-term consumption category of 'fast beauty' without securing a loyal customer base, even though they are achieving high sales. K-food is also more influential  than individual brands, such as 'Trader Joe's Gimbap' and 'Costco Kimchi'.  

Kim said  that it is good to maintain the 'Korean' style, but there are many companies that try to make the format ' Korean'. It should be expressed in a global language, but he points out that there are many cases where people who try to come to the United States based on their experience of success in Korea fail because they cannot get rid of their 'habits'.  

Therefore, Director Kim created an accelerator program within Stanford and is already maintaining the third term.  

K-consumer companies that want to implement Koreanism should apply for it.  

K-Pop Demon Hunters' is not just Hallyu content. This event marks the beginning of the 'era of content centered on the Korean worldview'.   Koreanism will be the next step in K-pop, K-drama, and K-beauty, as well as the future of K-stories.  

Koreanism is a unique cultural diffusion mechanism that Korea has found in the era of globalization in the 21st century. Under the principle of 'deep roots, wide branches', we will create a completely new cultural experience by harmoniously blending with local culture without compromising the intrinsic value of Korean culture.  

It is also a sign of the structural evolution of Hallyu economics, in which the industry is shifting from relying on individual stars to becoming an IP-based business. If the existing Hallyu relied on 'people', now a new era has opened in which 'character' and 'IP' are the center.  This means that Korea's cultural industry has moved away from the "stardom" and "volatility" of individual stars and secured a sustainable growth model.  

In order for K-content and K-consumers to continue to develop in the future, it will be necessary to deeply reflect on cultural identity and at the same time have a detailed understanding of the global market and consumers.

In addition , it will be important not to be satisfied with short-term results, but to build a sustainable cultural ecosystem from a long-term perspective.