"KPop Demon Hunters" creator and codirector Maggie Kang on Aug. 22 listens to questions at a news conference for her global blockbuster at the multiplex CGV Yongsan I'Park Mall in Seoul's Yongsan-gu District. (Netflix)

By Xu Aiying

"Everyone wants to be loved and accepted. I think the characters' fears and growth resonated with the audience."

Maggie Kang, creator and codirector of the global blockbuster "KPop Demon Hunters," said this on Aug. 22 at a news conference for her work at the multiplex CGV Yongsan I'Park Mall in Seoul's Yongsan-gu District.

She credited her film's success to its story that everyone could relate to, with a universal sentiment transcending borders and captivating audiences around the world.

Born in Seoul and moving to Toronto at age 5, the Korean Canadian has worked on productions by DreamWorks Animation like "Shrek Forever After" (2010) and "Kung Fu Panda 3" (2016).

"KPop Demon Hunters," her feature film debut as a director, is about the K-pop girl group HUNTR/X (Huntrix) who secretly fights evil spirits. They try to save the world and find themselves by battling Saja Boys, a boy band comprised of demons.

Planning and releasing the work took seven years. Since its release on June 20, the film has replaced "Red Notice" as the most watched film in Netflix history.

"In the process of making the film, I focused most on authentically portraying Korean culture and sentiment," Kang said. "There were many errors in Korean content produced abroad, so I wanted to fix them and accurately promote Korea."

The result was her meticulous research on K-pop acts, Korean traditions and shamanism that led to their accurate depiction.

"Once you become conscious of others' opinions and try to cater to the audience, you lose sincerity," she said. "The audience is the first to notice this. The only way for Korean culture to spread globally and grow more popular is to confidently show itself as it is."

"KPop Demon Hunters" creator and codirector Maggie Kang (second from left) on Aug. 22 responds to questions at a news conference for her blockbuster film at the multiplex CGV Yongsan I'Park Mall in Seoul's Yongsan-gu District. (Netflix)

"KPop Demon Hunters" has also set records in music. "Golden," the theme song from its soundtrack, has topped the official British singles chart Top 100 and the Hot 100, the main singles chart of Billboard of the U.S.

Other songs from the soundtrack, "Your Idol," "Soda Pop" and "How It's Done" have also reached the top 10 of the Billboard chart, making "KPop Demon Hunters" the first film to simultaneously place four songs in the top 10 of that chart.

Kang called "Golden" a "signature song so crucial to the film as it reflects the hopes and aspirations of the protagonist Rumi," saying it was the most difficult song to make in production. "After hearing the final song after going through seven or eight versions, I was certain that this was it and cried," she added.

On a potential sequel, she said, "I know many fans are waiting. It's not official yet but I have ideas. I want to show a variety of Korean music genres including trot," referring to an older style of Korean pop characterized by vocal inflections.

Turning to foreign reports that "KPop Demon Hunters" is a strong candidate for the Academy Awards, Kang smiled and said, "No one creates a film to win an award but if I can gain recognition in any way, it would be a great and meaningful honor."

"KPop Demon Hunters" creator and codirector Maggie Kang (left) on Aug. 21 watches media art at the Immersive Digital Gallery of the National Museum of Korea in Seoul's Yongsan-gu District with the museum's director-general You Hong-june. (Charles Audouin)

On Aug. 21, Kang visited the National Museum of Korea, which has grown immensely popular through more visitors and sales of souvenirs related to traditional Korean culture as shown in the film. She gave as a gift a doll of Derpy, the tiger character in the movie, to the museum's director-general You Hong-june.

"I will keep developing interest in traditional Korean culture and try to reflect Korean identity in modern creative works," she told him.

On Sept. 17, "KPop Demon Hunters" will be screened on the opening day of the Busan International Film Festival in a sing-along version to allow audience participation. Kang will also attend the event and hold a Q&A there.

xuaiy@korea.kr