"K-pop Demon Hunters" Featuring Korean Culture: Director Maggie Kang Integrates Traditional Elements from Design to Music

The production team behind Netflix’s animated film “K-pop Demon Hunters” revealed how they incorporated Korean culture into the artwork. Canadian director of Korean descent, Maggie Kang, explained that her childhood experiences with Korean culture were reflected in every aspect of the design. She stated, “Even after moving to Canada at the age of five, I spent all my elementary school summer vacations in Korea. Growing up playing with cousins, watching television, and listening to music allowed me to experience a great deal of Korean pop culture.” She added, “I wanted to include everything about Korea in this project. I aimed to make it as authentically Korean as possible, so I tried to add Korean elements to all the designs.” During the design phase, she and a team of 10 members traveled to Korea to seek inspiration. They visited locations such as Bukchon, Myeongdong, and the Folk Village to gather ideas, and depicted even the smallest details that Koreans would instantly recognize, like Namsan Tower, Hanok houses, Korean cuisine, and street scenes. The film tells the story of K-pop girl group HUNTR/X serving as demon hunters who hunt evil spirits. Director Maggie Kang explained that this setting was inspired by shamanism and rituals known as “gut.” She said, “Gut involves using music and dance to drive away monsters, which I thought would fit perfectly with the concept of this film. In a way, I even considered gut to be the earliest form of concert.” Although K-pop has become a global culture in many foreign works, “K-pop Demon Hunters” is the first to adapt it into a musical animated film. Director Maggie Kang reflected, “The challenging part was that no one had ever made a musical film based on K-pop before. The composers went through seven or eight revisions to finalize the music.” Many composers from The Black Label, including Teddy, contributed to the film’s soundtrack, with international artists such as ZENA Andrew, who has written songs for BTS multiple times, also listed as composers. She explained, “My goal was to create tracks that would be recognized as true K-pop even if released separately, so I realized it was crucial to collaborate with Korean labels.” Regarding the characters’ visuals, she clarified, “We did not reference any specific group or member; instead, they were created under the influence of all K-pop groups and members.” Korean actors such as Ahn Hyo-seop and Lee Byung-hun contributed their voices to enhance the film’s quality.