Netflix’s “KPop Demon Hunters” Virtual Boy Group Lion Boys Enters Real-World Music Scene

The virtual boy group Lion Boys from Netflix’s animated film “KPop Demon Hunters” is now actively pursuing a real-world music career. On the 13th, the Korean Musicians Association (KMA) announced that all five voice actors who provided vocals for Lion Boys had officially joined as full members. The newly added members are Danny Jung, who sang for “Baby,” and Samuil Rida, who sang for “Romance.” Together with existing members Andrew Choi (Jinwoo), Neckwave (Abby), and Kevin Woo (Mystery), they completed Lion Boys’ lineup of five vocal artists. Andrew Choi is a highly skilled producer who finished in third place on SBS’s “KPop Star Season 2” and has since created hit songs for K-pop groups such as SHINee, EXO, and NCT. Kevin Woo was a former member of U-KISS and is currently active in various fields including solo projects, musicals, and live performances. The remaining members are also engaged in multiple areas such as production, vocal performance, and songwriting. The KMA is the only organization in South Korea dedicated to managing the performance rights of musicians and is designated by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to handle compensation payments. Established 37 years ago, it has been overseeing the copyright rights of singers, performers, opera artists, conductors, and other music performers in genres ranging from pop music to traditional Korean music and classical music. Various artists from different fields continue to join, including Wendy of RED Velvet, who recently became the 50,000th member. The joining of Lion Boys members is particularly noteworthy, as they voluntarily decided to participate in South Korea’s performance rights management system despite primarily performing overseas. Jo Hyun, team leader of the KMA’s Overseas DB Team, said, “As K-pop-based content expands globally, it is significant that artists who mainly perform abroad have chosen to join the KMA voluntarily. In an era where music produced and released in South Korea is consumed worldwide, the KMA will continue to play a central role in ensuring that not only domestic musicians but also overseas artists can receive their rightful rights.” Since its release in June, “KPop Demon Hunters” has become Netflix’s most-watched film ever and was the first Netflix content to surpass 300 million views. The film’s OST, “Golden,” continues to cause a global phenomenon by reaching number one on both the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Official Singles Chart.