Netflix’s latest hit, KPop Demon Hunters, has officially become the streaming giant’s most popular animated film to date, and its second most-watched original movie overall.

The K-pop fantasy film, released in June 2025, tells the story of a girl group descended from demon slayers who must battle a rival boy band of demons while hiding their secret dual identities.

Directed by Korean-Canadian filmmaker Maggie Kang, the movie fuses traditional Korean demon lore, K-pop music, and modern Seoul landmarks. From the Olympic Stadium to beloved snacks like gimbap and ramyeon, the film highlights cultural details while appealing to a global audience.

Its impact extends beyond the screen: the movie’s soundtrack is topping Billboard’s Streaming Songs chart, with the breakout hit Golden surpassing tracks from BTS and BLACKPINK.

Kang, who moved from South Korea to Canada at age five, said she wanted to tell a universal story about shame, acceptance, and self-identity.

“Anywhere you go in the world, everybody wants the same things — love, security, acceptance,” Kang told reporters in Seoul. “When you tell a story that encompasses all of that, you reach a global audience.”

The director noted her inspiration came from 1990s K-pop icons H.O.T. and Seo Taiji and Boys, as well as Oscar-winning director Bong Joon-ho. She also drew from Korean shamanic rites (gut), often led by women, to ground the fantasy elements.

This week, Kang met with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, who praised the film’s global success and reaffirmed his government’s support for Korean culture as a core global industry.

With its fusion of music, mythology, and modern storytelling, KPop Demon Hunters is cementing itself as a cultural milestone — proving once again that Korean entertainment is dominating the global stage.