By Honorary Reporter Volga Serin Suleymanoglu from Turkiye (Turkey)

Photos = Netflix and Sony Pictures Animation

"KPop Demon Hunters" is a global phenomenon as the most popular original animated film in Netflix history. The girl group Huntrix (HUNTR/X) in the movie has also made real-world waves, with its song "Golden" topping Billboard's Streaming Songs chart and reaching No. 2 on the Hot 100.

The official poster for "KPop Demon Hunters" is on the left and creator and co-director Maggie Kang is on the right.

The movie is the brainchild of Maggie Kang (Korean name Kang Minji), who created and co-directed the film with Chris Appelhans. Her first credit as a story artist was for "Over the Hedge," and she has worked on projects like "Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa," "Shrek: Forever After," "Trolls," "Rise of the Guardians," "The Croods: A New Age" and the "Puss in Boots" franchise. She moved to Blue Sky Studios and Illumination and later served as head of story on "The Lego Ninjago Movie" for Warner Animation.

In an email interview conducted from July 11 to Aug. 6, she discussed the success of her debut feature and her inspirations from Korean culture. 

The following are excerpts from the interview.

The songs of K-pop girl group Huntrix (HUNTR/X) have proven to be a hit in the real world.

Briefly introduce yourself
I was born in Seoul and immigrated to Toronto, Canada, at age 5. I developed a love for film and storytelling at an early age thanks to my cinephile dad, who exposed me to a range of films. Growing up, I liked to write stories and create images to go along with them. One year, my parents bought a video recorder and my sister and I started making videos together. I did impersonations and created skits while my sister filmed me.

My dad bought me my first animation book, and that's when I first though this could be a real job I could do. At Sheridan College, I studied classical animation and in my final year, I made a short film that caught the attention of DreamWorks Animation. So just a month after graduating, I was on a flight to Los Angeles to start my career at DreamWorks.

The fictional K-Pop boy band Saja Boys has also seen success on real-world charts.

You say hearing the letter "K" in terms like K-pop and K-dramas makes you feel the global impact of Korean culture. What aspects of Korean identity do you carry?
I spent most of my childhood in Canada and have lived mostly outside of Korea, but I've always considered myself more Korean than Canadian. Maybe it's because I was born there and Korean was my first language.

My parents are the biggest reason I stay connected to my Korean roots. I didn't get a formal education in Korean, but my mom wanted to give me that learning experience at home, which I hated at the time, but now I'm grateful to her. My aunt sent over textbooks and workbooks to Canada, and through them, I learned about Korean history and many historical icons of Korea. Learning about history at a young age instilled deep pride in my culture.

How was proposing this movie to Sony Pictures Animation?
Presenting this idea to Sony was pretty straightforward. I wouldn't say I had any deep fears or insecurities about it since at the time, Sony was actively looking for something culturally different. This was why I pitched "KPop Demon Hunters" to the studio.

How did was your approach in making this film?
I knew this would be the first Hollywood-made movie, animated or live action, to be 100% rooted in Korean culture, which meant it would also be the first to represent our culture at a global scale. Once that sank in, I began questioning whether I was the right person for this and if I was Korean enough to create a film that truly represents our culture to the world.

I struggled with that quite a bit. My dad reminded me that as a director, my sole job is to tell my story, not anyone else's, citing my background in both North American and Korean cultures. That conversation changed everything for me. That realization truly set me free.

The tiger Derpy is based on a supernatural character inspired by Korean folk art.

You visited Korea during the film's development. What inspired you the most?

The goal was to capture the authenticity of each location. Exploring Jeju Island was my favorite part of the trip, as I hadn't been there before. Visiting the gravesites was especially important as Jeju's culture is very specific, and we wanted to represent that accurately.

Visiting Bukchon Hanok Village and Korean Folk Village was also very helpful for gathering reference images. The types of brick and motifs on the buildings, as well as seeing how ropes are knotted or how hay is braided for rooftops, were details observed so they could be represented correctly in the film.

What is your reaction to the success of the film and its songs?
I never imagined something like this was possible because I'd never seen a movie with this kind of reach. We talked about wanting to create music as good as songs on the charts, but never imagined they would make it to such charts.

I didn't hold anything back. Once the film came out, I had many friends reach out to me saying, "This movie is 100% you. The humor, the way Rumi talks and walks." Honestly, this was the best compliment I could receive.

msjeon22@korea.kr

*This article is written by a Korea.net Honorary Reporter. Our group of Honorary Reporters are from all around the world, and they share with Korea.net their love and passion for all things Korean.