[Arts & Culture] What's next after KPop Demon Hunters' win at Golden Globes

골든글로브 2관왕 ‘케데헌‘… 한국 영화계 지원은?

The global impact of Korean culture continues to expand, following the growing influence of KPop Demon Hunters after its double win at the Golden Globe Awards earlier this week.
For more on this, we have our culture correspondent Park Kun-woo here in the studio with us.
Welcome.

Happy Friday!

So, what an achievement this week!

Right. Golden at the Golden Globes!
For those who may have missed it, KPop Demon Hunters picked up two major wins Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song for "Golden," the main song from its official soundtrack, at the 83rd Golden Globes earlier this week.
Specifically in the Best Animated Feature category, KPop Demon Hunters outpaced major competitors, including Zootopia 2, widely regarded as one of Disney Studios' strongest releases.
That's why, although it fell short of winning the Cinematic and Box Office Achievement Award, the double win has grabbed global attention.
This comes after similar wins at the 31st Critics' Choice Awards earlier this month, raising even greater anticipation for what could come next.
But before we look ahead, let’s first take a closer look at what’s behind the film’s success.


What began as an animated film inspired by Korean culture has grown into a global phenomenon.
KPop Demon Hunters recently made headlines with its Golden Globes wins, sparking renewed discussion about the expanding creative power of K-culture.
South Korea's Culture Minister also recently congratulated director Maggie Kang on the historic achievement, calling it a rare moment where a K-culture-based animated film was recognized globally for both creativity and artistic quality.
The minister added that the film’s success reflects the growing international influence of Korean pop culture, while also showing how stories rooted in Korean identity can resonate across cultural boundaries.
Experts say the film’s appeal goes beyond awards.

"Compared to its competitors at the Golden Globes, KPop Demon Hunters presented a fresh and original animated work. It's neither a franchise nor part of an existing series. The film incorporates cultural motifs unfamiliar to the West, but presents them in an engaging way that's accessible to a global audience."

The same expert also noted that the film’s release on a global streaming platform significantly expanded its reach, allowing international audiences to engage with Korean culture more directly.
Adding that this is even more meaningful at a time when the film industry has grown increasingly conservative amid a slowdown, with insiders relying more on star actors and directors instead of developing new creative ideas.
Amid criticism that the film cannot be considered Korean content due to foreign investment, this argument was dismissed.

"Considering the industrial influence of the film, that argument feels outdated. Since the release of the film, K-pop streaming has increased, and more people are learning Korean. Along with the rise in tourism, visitors are exploring Korean cultural elements featured in the film, which ultimately helps grow Korea's cultural industry."

From K-pop streaming to museum visits, the impact is already being felt.
And now with the Grammy Awards and the Academy Awards still to come this year, the question is how much further Korean content can travel on the global stage.



I can't wait to see more wins.
So, when can we possibly hear more?

First of all, the Grammy Awards are set to take place on February 1st.
Golden has been nominated in multiple categories, including Song of the Year, alongside seven other nominees, including "APT." from BLACKPINK's Rosé and Bruno Mars.
It's also nominated for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance.
Looking further ahead, the 98th Academy Awards are scheduled for March 16th with nominations set to be announced later this month.
KPop Demon Hunters is expected to be included in the final nominations for the Animated Feature and Original Song categories.
One expert said there's definitely more to watch out for and definitely more reasons to root for the film in the weeks ahead.

"Given the film’s strong cultural impact, it still has a real chance in the Best Animated Feature category. And its chances are even higher for Best Original Song, as the music became popular enough for everyone to sing along."


Definitely.
And as you mentioned in your coverage, with the Korean film industry facing a slowdown, are there any signs of support to help more films?

Yes, the Culture Minister said on Wednesday that the government will support the film industry with an expanded budget, acknowledging that both movie production and audience numbers have sharply declined...

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2026-01-16, 20:00 (KST)