"KPop Demon Hunters" Brings the History of Japanese Colonial Rule to Global Attention

The globally popular animation “KPop Demon Hunters” is serving as a platform to inform the international community about the historical tragedies of Korea during the Japanese colonial period. Through the tiger character “Duffy” in the series, interest in the historical fate of Korean tigers has spread worldwide, leading to renewed scrutiny of Japan’s past atrocities. On the 16th, a TikTok user posted a video detailing historical research on “Duffy,” revealing that the Japanese government classified Korean tigers as harmful animals in 1917 and organized a private hunting group called the Jeongho-gun to carry out extermination campaigns. As of the 23rd, this video had accumulated over 1.2 million views, spreading widely across the globe. Historical records confirm that during Japanese colonial rule, Japan designated Korean tigers, which were symbols of Korea at the time, as harmful animals and conducted systematic hunting through the Jeongho-gun. The TikTok user expressed emotional reaction to scenes related to “Duffy,” sparking widespread empathy within the international community. The video’s comments section received over 2,000 responses from global users, with most criticizing Japan’s lack of apology for past war crimes and issues with distorted history education. Commenters also highlighted Korea’s cultural resilience, noting that despite Japan’s attempts to eradicate the mugunghwa, Korea transformed it into a symbol of strength. Korean users praised “KPop Demon Hunters” and the character “Duffy,” stating that the series utilized its cultural influence to widely spread awareness of Japan’s negative historical perceptions internationally. Experts analyze this incident as an example showing how global content can provide new directions for history education. However, it has also been pointed out as a symbolic paradox, given that the series was produced in collaboration between Sony Pictures Animation of Japan and Netflix, with Netflix funding the entire production and holding the intellectual property rights. The involvement of Japanese capital in creating content involving historical controversies has drawn significant attention from international public opinion.