Daegu Pursues “K-Hallyu Comprehensive World Challenger” Using the Successful Model of KPop Demon Hunters

Daegu is accelerating its strategy to reinvent its city brand by adopting the success formula of the globally successful Netflix animated film “KPop Demon Hunters.” On the 11th, the Daegu Policy Research Institute held a policy seminar themed “K-Culture Era, Daegu’s K-Hallyu Brand Strategy,” emphasizing the need to integrate K-POP, beauty, fashion, food, and other K-Hallyu elements into cohesive content. Park Yang-ho, director of the Daegu Policy Research Institute, stated in his keynote speech that Daegu has built a strong foundation through its designation as a UNESCO Creative City for Music, as well as various cultural festivals such as the Daegu International Musical Festival (DIMF), International Beauty Expo, short film festival, and Chimaek Festival. He further explained that recent developments including the incorporation of Gunwi, expansion of large-scale infrastructure like new airports and the Dalbit Railway, adoption of a national strategy to make Daegu a hub for AI and robotics, and hosting of APEC meetings have created a golden period for creating a K-Hallyu brand.

Daegu’s core strategy is the “K-Hallyu Comprehensive World Challenger,” a global competition modeled after Olympic-style events. Teams selected through national qualifiers compete in Daegu from the round of 16 to the final, with competitions held in five categories: K-POP, K-beauty, K-fashion, K-food, and K-games. Gold, silver, and bronze medals are awarded accordingly. The finals take place at major cultural venues in Daegu, such as Dongsong-ro, and are accompanied by events like the Daegu K-Hallyu Shopping Sale Festival, city tours, and pre-festival performances. Park Kyung-sook, an associate researcher at the Daegu Policy Research Institute, cited Changwon City as a reference example. Changwon has held the K-POP World Festival annually since 2011, attracting numerous overseas tourists, and gained worldwide recognition after BTS performed there twice in 2016 and 2017. “KPop Demon Hunters” created new momentum for K-Hallyu through genre fusion—combining music, animation, fashion, and merchandise—with fantasy storytelling. Daegu’s strategy aims to scale this model into a city-wide brand. The trend of content produced overseas flowing back to Korea is cited as a factor supporting the potential for Daegu’s global competition format. Researcher Park stressed that collaboration among the government, local authorities, media, and domestic entertainment companies is essential for hosting such events, adding that the Dongsong-ro tourist zone has the opportunity to experience rapid global development as a hub for K-Hallyu. During the comprehensive discussion, experts from academia, institutions, and industry identified key challenges including leveraging overseas fan bases, expanding participation of local businesses, and establishing a sustainable operational system.