Category: Entertainment Files

Considering how I heard this song everywhere over the past year it is good to see it won at least one Grammy:

Korean American songwriter Ejae (L) attends the 68th Grammy Awards in Los Angeles on Feb. 1, 2026, to receive a trophy for Best Song Written for Visual Media for “Golden” in this AFP photo. (Yonhap)

“Golden” from the soundtrack of Netflix’s animated sensation “KPop Demon Hunters” won a historic first Grammy for the K-pop genre.

Rose of K-pop girl group BLACKPINK, however, missed out on a trophy, although she was nominated in three categories, including two major ones — Song of the Year and Record of the Year — with “APT.,” her hit collaborative single with U.S. pop star Bruno Mars.

“Golden” received Best Song Written for Visual Media during the premiere ceremony of the 68th Grammy Awards at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Sunday (U.S. time). 

While South Korean recording engineer Hwang Byeong-joon and Korean American artist Yungin have previously won Grammys, “Golden” represents the first time K-pop producers or songwriters have taken home the award. The songwriters recognized as the official winners include Korean American artist Ejae, as well as Teddy, 24 and Ido — producers at the South Korean music label The Black Label.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link, but APT was another song I heard repeatedly over the past year so it is a bit surprising it didn’t win at least one Grammy.

It is amazing how popular K-Pop has become over the past two decades:

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum speaks during a press conference at the National Palace in Mexico City, Mexico, on Jan. 19. EPA-Yonhap

Huge demand to see K-pop boy band BTS, among the world’s most popular artists, has led Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum to formally request of her counterpart, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, that he help arrange more concerts in Mexico.

“Everyone wants to go,” Sheinbaum said at her daily morning press conference on Monday, adding that she had sent a diplomatic letter to South Korea’s Lee seeking more concerts.

Korea Times

You can read more at the link.

K-Pop Demon Hunters should have been nominated for best picture besides best animated film and song. Instead the best picture will likely go to a movie that pushes some kind of left wing narrative. There is hope though, F1 did get nominated for best picture and it is excellent if you haven’t seen it yet:

Netflix’s hit animated film “KPop Demon Hunters” has received two Oscar nominations.

The animated sensation, co-directed by Korean Canadian filmmaker Maggie Kang and American director Chris Appelhans, earned nominations for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song for “Golden,” according to the announcement of the 98th Academy Awards nominees, livestreamed Thursday.

Produced by Sony Pictures Animation, the film centers on Huntr/x, who live a double life, balancing their music careers with their duties as warriors who protect the world from demonic spirits, like the overlord Gwi-Ma and the soul-stealing Saja Boys.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

It is pretty amazing the staying power the K-Pop Demon Hunters soundtrack has had:

The soundtrack for Netflix’s hit animated film “KPop Demon Hunters” has surged back into the top tiers of the Billboard 200 albums chart. 

Billboard said in a preview of this week’s chart Sunday (U.S. time) that the soundtrack jumped seven spots to No. 3.

The Billboard 200 ranks the most popular albums of the week in the United States, measured by equivalent album units, comprising physical album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA).

Despite an 18 percent dip in weekly consumption, the soundtrack earned 51,000 equivalent album units, fueled by steady streaming numbers.

Global pop star Taylor Swift’s latest studio album, “The Life of a Showgirl,” logged its 12th non-consecutive week at No. 1, further cementing Swift’s status as a chart juggernaut.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link, but the K-Pop Demon Hunters movie continues to have major staying power as well continuing to rank in the Netflix Top 10 movies list.

I can understand why tourism in Jeju is spiking. The K-drama when Life Gives You Tangerines is really good and beautifully filmed on Jeju island:

Foreign tourism to Jeju Island jumped this year, fueled by the global popularity of a Netflix K-drama filmed on the island and a growing appetite for travel beyond South Korea’s major cities.

Jeju Island alone recorded a 17.5 percent year-on-year increase in overseas visitors, driven in part by interest in the series set there. Promotional efforts tied to the 2025 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit, along with local government tourism initiatives, have also helped boost visits to other regions.

According to the Korea Culture and Tourism Institute on Sunday, the share of foreign tourists who visited Jeju among all visitors to Korea rose for three consecutive quarters this year, reaching 8.9 percent in the first quarter, 9.0 percent in the second and 10.5 percent in the third.

The third-quarter figure marked a 0.6 percentage point increase from 9.9 percent during the same period last year.

The Jeju Provincial Government largely attributed the growth to global attention surrounding “When Life Gives You Tangerines.”

Korea Herald

You can read more at the link.

It is kind of surprising considering how famous their music is that this group has never performed live before:

Audrey Nuna didn’t realize how far “KPop Demon Hunters” had traveled until she visited Korea. “I went to Korea a few weeks after the film started taking off,” she told Jimmy Fallon on “The Tonight Show” that aired Tuesday evening. “I got off at Dongdaemun Station and this cute little grandpa was doing a street performance of ‘Golden’ on this Korean traditional instrument. He was so swagged out. I had to do a double take.”

The 26-year-old Korean American singer, who voices one of the leads in the hit animated film, said the moment stayed with her. (…..)

On Tuesday evening, the singers behind the characters — EJAE, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami — brought “Golden” to life for the first time on “The Tonight Show.” The performance zoomed close to 4 million views within 12 hours, adding another milestone to the film’s rapid crossover from animation to real-world pop culture.

Korea Times

You can read more at the link.

It seems Trump is fighting more to protect California’s film industry than there own governor who’s tax policies have caused studios to flee the state for filming:

US President Donald Trump announced Sunday via Truth Social that he would impose a 100 percent tariff on all movies produced outside the United States, making his second such declaration in five months.

The statement came without an implementation timeline or enforcement mechanism.

Without providing evidence, Trump claimed that foreign countries were “stealing” American film production through tax incentives. He cited California as being “particularly hard hit.”

The announcement left more questions than answers.

It remains unclear how such a tariff would work in practice. Would it apply to streaming content or just theatrical releases? How would authorities calculate the levy on intellectual property rather than physical goods? Sunday’s announcement also provided no definition of what constitutes a foreign-made film.

Korea Herald

You can read more at the link.

The success of K-Pop Demon Hunters is causing the South Korean entertainment industry to embrace a “Next-K” strategy to reflect how even studios outside of Korea are making Korean related content:

K-Pop Demon Hunters Director Maggie Kang

Reflecting this shift, the Korea Creative Content Agency has dropped the term “hallyu” and is promoting a “Next K” strategy. 

“We are now at a stage where K-content is attempting to leap into the global mainstream,” said Park Hyuk-tae, head of the agency’s industry policy team. “The focus is expanding from ‘Made in Korea’ to ‘Made with Korea.’”

One striking change can be seen in who makes K-content. Inspired by Korea’s history and culture, many foreign creators, often based outside Korea, are now producing works. 

The production team behind “KPop Demon Hunters” was largely non-Korean but recreated everything from shamanism and K-pop to bathhouses, N Seoul Tower, instant noodles and beef soup in meticulous detail.

Examples abound. Japan’s TBS adapted the narrative structure of Korean dramas and cast a Korean actor in its hit series “I Love You.” A U.S. production company staged an English-language version of the Korean musical “Maybe Happy Ending,” which went on to win multiple Tony Awards.

Diaspora Koreans are particularly prominent. “KPop Demon Hunters” director Maggie Kang, a Korean Canadian, drew on her childhood memories of K-content to create the film. 

“Many Korean immigrants struggle with identity, but that itself is a multicultural experience,” she said during a recent visit to Seoul. “Globalization of culture can give opportunities to creators with diverse backgrounds.”

Diaspora narratives have long been influential. The Oscar-nominated film “Minari” (2020), the drama “Beef” (2023) and the Apple TV+ series “Pachinko” (2022, 2024) were all made by Korean American creators. (……)

The “KPop Demon Hunters” boom has expanded the reach of K-content to new generations. Even children overseas with no previous awareness of Korean culture are humming K-pop songs and learning about gimbap (rice rolls) or Korean bathhouses. 

This early exposure is fostering what some call the “K-generation,” whose continuous engagement could lock in long-term global consumption of Korean content.

Korea Times

You can read more at the link.

This accolade comes after leading the U.S. box office last week after a two day limited theater release:

The animated sensation “KPop Demon Hunters” has officially become Netflix’s most-watched movie of all time.

The film has amassed 236 million views since its release on June 20, surpassing the previous record holder, the action-comedy “Red Notice,” which had 230.9 million views, according to Netflix.

Produced by Sony Pictures Animation, the Netflix original film centers on Huntr/x, who live a double life, balancing their music careers with their duties as warriors who protect the world from demonic spirits, like the overlord Gwi-Ma and the soul-stealing Saja Boys.

The film’s soundtrack has also achieved a historic milestone, becoming the first ever to have four songs — “Golden,” “Your Idol,” “Soda Pop” and “How It’s Done” — simultaneously in the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

K-pop Demon Hunters has been a global phenomenon and it’s great soundtrack is what is driving its popularity:

“Golden” from the soundtrack of Netflix’s global hit animated film “KPop Demon Hunters” has soared to No. 1 on the British Official Singles Chart Top 100.

According to the chart unveiled Friday (local time), “Golden” jumped four places to claim the top position in its sixth week on the chart.

The Official Charts Company highlighted that Huntr/x, the fictional girl group featured in the film, became the first K-pop act to reach No. 1 in 13 years since Psy topped the chart with “Gangnam Style” in 2012.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.