If I wear a kimono, what's the content? I feel bad...Director Kedeheon Maggie Kang has no choice but to succeed (comprehensive)

Aug 22, 2025

사진=넷플릭스

It was possible because there was a reason for Maggie Kang, a Korean-Canadian coach. It was a natural result that the whole world was completely fascinated by 'K-pop exorcism action'.

On the afternoon of the 22nd, a press conference was held at CGV Yongsan I'Park Mall in Ichon-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, for Netflix's original animation 'K-Pop Demon Hunters' (directed by Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans). Maggie Kang, a Korean-Canadian director, attended the press conference.

'K-Pop Demon Hunters' is an action fantasy animation about Huntrix members Rumi (Arden Cho), Mira (May Hong), and Joey (Yoo Ji-young), who are K-pop boy groups by day and secretly exorcist by night, defeating the Lion Boys who become evil spirits and threaten humanity at night?It is the first overseas animation based on Korean K-pop idols and the first musical animation using K-pop music in history.

In particular, 'K-pop Demon Hunters' has been setting a new mega-hit record every day since it was released worldwide on June 20 on Netflix. Reinterpreting exorcism idols with shaman motifs as modern urban fantasy heroes 'K-Pop Demon Hunters' has naturally melted Korean culture that encompasses traditions and modern times, including Namsan Seoul Tower, K-Food, Sine Sword, Ilwol Obongdo, Magpie Tiger (Jakho-do), and tile-roofed houses, earning favorable reviews from viewers around the world.

As a result, 'K-Pop Demon Hunters' started at No. 2 in the first week of its release and rose to No. 1 in the second week, creating a stir. According to Netflix's ranking of viewing hours released on the 20th, 'K-pop Demon Hunters' ranks first in English movies with 26 million views and 43.3 million hours of viewing time from August 11 to 17. The cumulative number of views reached 210.5 million and 350.9 million hours of viewing time, ranking second in the Netflix movie category. Currently, the top spot in the Netflix movie category is the accumulated number of viewers with 239 million and 454.2 million hours of cumulative viewing, which was released in 2021 (directed by Lawson Marshall Tuber). As the gap with the "K-pop Demon Hunters" has narrowed to 20.4 million views, it is expected that the "K-pop Demon Hunters" will soon beat the "Red Notice" to rank No. 1 in history.

The OST, which is the driving force behind the success of 'K-Pop Demon Hunters', is also indispensable. Eight songs on the OST were simultaneously charted on the Billboard Hot 100, and in particular, Huntrix's song 'Golden' was amazing to rank No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. It is leading the syndrome of 'K-pop Demon Hunters" around the world with addictive music, details that incorporate Korean unique cultures, and original genres such as K-pop exorcism action.

On this day, director Maggie Kang said, `This work took exactly seven years. I really can't believe it. It doesn't feel real. I never imagined that this work would be loved like this. I'm so grateful," he said, expressing his overwhelming feelings. "When I was young, my teacher asked me which country I was from. I said Korea, but I couldn't find it even when I looked at the map. He explained that it was between China and Japan, but he still couldn't find it. I was shocked then. At that young age, I wanted to see our country like this, and I wanted to promote our country even more," he said, explaining the process of planning K-pop Demon Hunters.

Director Maggie Kang, who is about to break the top spot in Netflix's movie box office, said, `I think I've only watched SNS for 10 days since the first release of the movie. I really saw it endlessly. I've been getting DMs all day and looking up 'K-pop Demon Hunters' response. However, as I saw more and more Korean fans responding, I expected global success."

Regarding the detailed setting of Korean culture "Does Korean content produced abroad touch anything different from the actual situation? The animation 'Mulan' is also a story set in China, but doesn't it come out wearing a Japanese kimono? I felt bad as an Asian. So 'K-Pop Demon Hunters' wanted to make the details of Korean culture accurate. The entire team tried to produce details because there were many Koreans in the team of 'K-Pop Demon Hunters' team.

He said "Stories and characters are the most important in movies. I thought anyone in the world could understand it and I wanted to show many aspects of our culture and show it as it is without hiding anything. Even if the overseas audience doesn't understand it right now, I thought it would work someday,' he added.

Then "Martin, Dokkaebi, and the Grim Reaper seemed to feel special to foreign audiences. K-POP first thought of such a material and later incorporated ideas. In fact, it was not modeled by one idol group. I wanted to make this movie for K-pop fans. I am also a fan of K-pop. I completed the main character with several groups as a motif"However, since I was young, I have liked Seo Taiji and the children, H.O.T. So is Deuce. The song of the group I was influenced by also appears in this work. Director Bong Joon-ho's 'Monster'(06) also said that he was really influenced by my life.

On major Hollywood studios Netflix and Sony Pictures, which supported the production of Korean-set narratives, director Maggie Kang said, `There was full support from Netflix and Sony from the beginning. In particular, Netflix was well aware of how successful Korean content could be through the 'Squid Game' series or the 'Physical: 100' content. So I received full support from the production team for the Korean narrative"Our movie looks like it's about superheroes, but actually what I really wanted to deal with is "Shame". These days, the animation industry is moving to change its mind. In the past, there was a perception that animation was exclusive to children, but now it is not. So we also tried to create a complex, multi-layered narrative and made a mature subject like a superhero, and I thought it would be nice to add some fancy attractions to this to satisfy everyone. All the great animations we currently acknowledge seem to have been loved because they have served that purpose."

Regarding the hit song 'Golden', which was the driving force behind the box office success of 'K-Pop Demon Hunters', 'Golden' was the most difficult song among many songs. After developing the story, I learned how important this song is. There were many purposes of this song. First of all, we needed a representative song that should contain the wishes and aspirations of the main character, Rumi. It was an important song for the main character. He also had to explain the character's warrior. I had to replace the warrior of the character that wasn't perfect and I had to deliver it to the viewer accurately. In addition, I wanted it to be a difficult song to sing. We are more moved when we hear high notes that ordinary people cannot sing. In that sense, I cried when I first heard the demo song of this song. As soon as I heard it! I thought, 'This is it.'"

He said "I think movies are the best art forms that break down barriers around the world. Everyone in the world wants to be loved and recognized. Our work tells a story that can be sympathized with everyone. Even a very young child can relate. Before the work was released, a 6-year-old viewer also accurately sympathized with Rumi's feelings in the blind current affairs. I think that's why our work is loved by viewers all over the world."

As if to prove the world's keen interest, requests for a sequel are continuing. Director Maggie Kang responded, `There is no official production yet. I have some ideas. I know a lot of people are waiting for the sequel."There are a lot of artists that I want to be with in the sequel. But I want to show various music stations in Korea. I want to promote trot, too. I want to promote Korean music of different genres. And I want to put heavy metal as well."

Regarding the globalization of Korean content viewed as Korean-Canadian, "Many ethnic Koreans like me feel identity confusion. I'm lucky I didn't struggle in that area, but I think I'm deeply Korean with my inner identity. I think it was possible because I kept the language of Korean. Thanks to the language, I was able to exist more closely in Korean culture. There are a lot of people in multiculturalism. As President Lee Jae-myung recently mentioned, if you want true globalization, you can listen to the voices of global creators. It seems that the essence of Korea, a true Korean, is changing little by little. There are many people from various cultures, including myself, and I think it would be nice if they could pay attention to their voices."

"K-Pop Demon Hunters" is voiced by Arden Cho, Ahn Hyo-seop, May Hong, Yoo Ji-young, Kim Yoon-jin, Joel Kim Booster, Raiza Kosh, and Daniel Dae Kim, Ken Jeong, and Lee Byung-hun, directed by Korean-Canadian Maggie Kang.

soulhn1220@sportschosun.com

If I wear a kimono, what's the content? I feel bad...Director Kedeheon Maggie Kang has no choice but to succeed (comprehensive)

K-drama