Netflix’s “KPop Demon Hunters” Exceeds 30 Billion Views, Achieving Historic Success

Netflix’s animated film “KPop Demon Hunters” has set the highest viewing record in the platform’s history, opening up new horizons for global K-pop popularity. Released on June 20, the film surpassed 300 million views in just about four months, overtaking Netflix’s previous record holder, “Squid Game” Season 1, to become the first content on the platform to reach this milestone. The success of its OST “Golden” is a key driver behind the film’s popularity. According to official charts from the 17th, “Golden” has remained on the charts for 17 consecutive weeks, holding the number one spot for 8 weeks as of last month. It continues to stay at the top rankings even as pop star Taylor Swift’s new releases dominate various charts. Meanwhile, other OSTs from “KPop Demon Hunters,” such as “Your Idol,” re-entered the charts at position 10, and “How It's Done” at position 12, demonstrating the film’s musical impact. “Golden” is performed by EJAE, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami, and it achieved the remarkable feat of topping the Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Official Charts Top 100 for eight consecutive weeks. Korean-American composer and singer EJAE explained the song’s success during a press conference held at Seoul’s Yongsan CGV on October 15, saying, “Many tragic events happen in the world, so I believe hopeful lyrics and melodies can heal people.” He also added, “The most important thing in ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ was to showcase Korean culture, and I intended to include Korean language in the lyrics so that everyone could sing along.” The film’s popularity is further rising during the Halloween season. According to Google’s official Halloween trend tracking service, “Frightgeist,” the characters from “KPop Demon Hunters” dominate the North American costume rankings. Rumi, the leader of the purple-haired HUNTR/X group, took first place, followed by the cheerful team member Joy and the graceful dancer Mira. Jinwoo, the fierce leader of the demon-fighting boy group Lion Boyz, ranked fourth, while Baby, the mint-colored rapper, came in fifth. Duffy, the tiger character inspired by traditional Korean paintings, also reached position 8, meaning more than half of the top 10 are characters from the film. The film is set to be re-released in theaters as well. On the 15th, Netflix announced that it will bring the movie back in sing-along version at three major North American theater chains—AMC, Regal, and Cinemark—from October 31 to November 2. It is unusual for these three large chains to collaborate to show Netflix films. Even a two-day sing-along release in August previously generated $18 million in revenue and topped the weekend box office charts. The film’s success serves as an example of the global influence of Korean content. Initially, it was expected to appeal only to young women and K-pop fans, but it ultimately captivated a much broader audience across borders and generations. However, this success also raises questions about Korean projects led by global streaming services. Netflix has pledged to invest $2.5 billion in Korean productions by 2027, while competitors like Apple TV+ and Prime Video are also developing original Korean-themed content such as “KPOPPED” and “Butterfly.”