‘KPop Demon Hunters’ grips world from toddlers to grandparents

A 4-year-old in the United States sits strapped in a car seat, belting out “Golden” with solemn concentration. The track is the theme song of Netflix’s animated film “KPop Demon Hunters.” Even as the child stumbles through the lyrics, the effort to hit the high notes sends the mother in the driver’s seat into laughter. The TikTok clip, titled “POV: you have a toddler who’s obsessed [with] KPop Demon Hunters,” has racked up more than 230,000 likes. The explosive success of “KPop Demon Hunters” has accelerated the spread of Korean culture worldwide, giving rise to what some call a “K-generation,” a cohort humming K-pop tunes from infancy, regardless of nationality. Since its June 20 release, the movie has become Netflix’s most-watched film and produced an original soundtrack that topped Western charts. While some compare the craze to the global “Let It Go” moment from Disney’s “Frozen” 11 years ago, the cultural ripple effect now unfolding suggests an even greater reach. Sing-alongs pack theaters, Empire State lights up On Aug. 23 and 24, more than 1,700Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times