KPop Demon Hunters Boom Boosts Government and Parliament’s Efforts to Promote the Hallyu Industry

The global success of Netflix’s animated series “KPop Demon Hunters” is serving as a catalyst for redefining the Hallyu industry as a national strategic sector. The government and Parliament are strengthening legal and policy frameworks to transform this cultural phenomenon into economic momentum. Parliament is currently advancing the “Law to Support Regional Growth through Hallyu Industry Infrastructure.” Introduced by lawmaker Kim Seung-soo, this bill focuses on establishing a legal basis that enables local governments to systematically and sustainably develop regional industries and create jobs using Hallyu content. Hallyu has now evolved beyond being merely a cultural trend into an industry with significant global economic impact. Following BTS, “Squid Game,” and BLACKPINK, global content like “KPop Demon Hunters” continues to achieve massive success. Related industries such as K-fashion, K-beauty, K-food, and K-tourism are also experiencing explosive growth, further increasing the overall economic value of Hallyu. In particular, the integration of regional industries and cultural assets with Hallyu content is attracting attention as a new form of industrial model. This integration is expected to yield various industrial and economic benefits, including the production of high-value cultural content, revitalization of local economies, job creation, and increased tourism demand. The bill provides a legal basis for designating and operating hubs to promote regional Hallyu industries, as well as for local governments to carry out programs such as education and training, employment linkage, and job information provision. Specifically, by establishing a legal foundation for education and training programs and employment linkage initiatives targeting local residents, tangible job creation is anticipated. In Daegu, for example, IP provided by content companies can be combined with the region’s fashion, textile, and beauty industries to create experience facilities for producing K-beauty and fashion content, enabling the development of specialized talent and local productization. Additionally, “open innovation” projects that allow small, medium, and large enterprises to collaborate by developing secondary content such as merchandise, food, and tourism products based on Hallyu IP provided by large corporations can also be pursued. The President’s office is also actively supporting the future of K-pop. On August 20, President Lee Jae-myung appeared in Arirang International Broadcasting’s special program “K-pop: The Next Chapter” to discuss “the current state and future vision of K-pop, which is sparking a global phenomenon,” with director Megi Kang of “KPop Demon Hunters” and TWICE members Jihyo and Jeongyeon. The President’s office described the event as an opportunity to “examine the global standing built by K-pop alongside various industry stakeholders and the scalability demonstrated by its global content, and to share visions and ideas for K-pop to move to the next stage.” At a national security council meeting, President Lee stated that “the trend sparked by K-pop is spreading to the entire K-culture sector” and urged relevant ministries to “provide support based on the ‘arm’s length principle’ while avoiding interference.” The arm’s length principle refers to the requirement that the government support areas such as culture and arts through public funding but ensure autonomy by not interfering in their operations. The economic impacts are also becoming evident. The sales volume of Muse, operated by the National Museum of Cultural Heritage Foundation, reached 16.3 billion won in the first half of this year, a roughly 56% increase from the same period last year, indicating a direct connection to the popularity of “KPop Demon Hunters.” According to the Hyundai Economic Research Institute’s “Report on BTS’s Economic Impact,” BTS is evaluated as equivalent to dozens of medium-sized enterprises walking around, generating an average annual production stimulus effect of 4.14 trillion won as of 2018. On the international cooperation front, Hallyu’s influence is expanding. Culture, Sports and Tourism Minister Choi Hwi-young will preside over the first APEC ministerial-level meeting on culture, held in Gyeongju over three days starting August 26. Many member countries, including Vietnam, Indonesia, and Chile, are paying attention to the achievements of South Korea’s cultural industry and seeking cooperation. The Vietnamese government has set a goal of increasing the share of the cultural industry in GDP to 7% by 2030, while Indonesia recorded an 86.3% approval rate for K-content in a 2024 overseas Hallyu survey. The High-Level Dialogue on Cultural Industries held in Gyeongju is the only meeting among APEC’s more than 10 ministerial meetings that focuses exclusively on the cultural industry. Held in a city rich in UNESCO World Heritage sites such as Bulguksa Temple and Seokguram Grottoes, it is expected to be a meaningful platform where 21st-century economic and digital discussions converge with the value of traditional culture.