7-Year Production K-Pop Demon Hunters — Director Maggie Kang’s Behind-the-Scenes Story

The director of <K-Pop Demon Hunters>, Maggie Kang, appeared on the tvN program <You Quiz on the Block> and shared stories related to the work. Yoo Jae-suk – It seems like it must have taken quite a long time for you to plan and produce it, right? Maggie Kang – It took 7 years. In the meantime, our child grew up a lot haha. Yoo Jae-suk – Out of 20 years working in animation, you invested 7 years in making <K-Pop Demon Hunters>. How did you feel when it was finally released after 7 years? Maggie Kang – We waited until the exact release time. I just started crying. When I turned on Netflix and watched the movie… I just started crying. Because I was so happy. Yoo Jae-suk – “<K-Pop Demon Hunters> is a tribute and a love letter to the Korea and K-pop culture that I love and am proud of, and it is a film that expresses the Korean roots I have.” Maggie Kang – Honestly, while making the film I worried a lot. “Will Koreans acknowledge this movie?”, “Do I even have the qualification to make a film like this?” Yoo Jae-suk – Why? Maggie Kang – Because I didn’t live in Korea for a long time and spent a lot of time overseas, there’s something about that. People who don’t live in Korea! So I worried about it, but thank you so much for loving it. While making a K-pop movie, I wanted to show our culture to the world. Maggie Kang – Honestly, I’m Korean, but I didn’t go to school in Korea and I also didn’t live in Korea for a long time. Because of that, I wondered, “Can I make a film that represents Korea?”, “Do I even have the right to do that?” I had those thoughts. ㅡ.A “love letter to Korean culture” written over 7 years while holding such doubts Maggie Kang – None of us expected to receive this much love. So I’m very grateful to the fans. I didn’t expect this level of love. I even said this to my husband. “If people don’t like this movie, I’m never making animation again.” Because I poured all of my heart into it. But receiving this much love from people makes me deeply moved. Yoo Jae-suk – Your first work has already received a lot of love from many people. It must be joyful, but at the same time you might have many thoughts. How do you feel? Maggie Kang – I do have many thoughts. I think the pressure to do well on the next project is quite big. Yoo Jae-suk – People are already talking about Season 2, right? Maggie Kang – Really? Yoo Jae-suk – Season 2 should definitely happen. Jo Se-ho – Wouldn’t it be fun if Huntrix appeared on You Quiz? Yoo Jae-suk – Is there a message you wanted to convey through the work? Maggie Kang – The message in the movie is about defeating the fear inside me and finding confidence in myself. Maggie Kang – Rumi had a demon mark that she had to hide and live with, and inside Jinwoo there is fear. What I wanted to say through these two characters is that everyone has parts inside themselves that they want to hide. The message is that we must always try to overcome them. Even if we cannot completely eliminate the anxiety and fear we have, I wanted to say that we must develop the inner strength to acknowledge them.

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Director Kang Min-ji’s Childhood

On the tvN program <You Quiz on the Block>, Maggie Kang, the director of 《K-Pop Demon Hunters》, appeared and shared stories related to the work. The contents are compiled here. ㅡImmigration at the young age of 5 – CanadaㅡEven though she could have forgotten Korean by not using it, she is still fluent in Korean Maggie Kang – When I first went to Canada, I only used English. We didn’t use Korean at home. They said I became completely fluent in English in just six months. After my English became perfect, my mom gave me a Korean book, but I couldn’t read it. My mom said, “This won’t do,” and from that point on, she sat me down and started studying with me. Three to four times a week, for several hours at a time, we absolutely studied Korean. I did dictation and read things over and over. At the time, I really hated it, but now I’m so grateful for it. ㅡStudying itself is not easy for a 5-year-old. Korean study that later became a huge asset Yoo Jae-suk – Even after immigrating to Canada, did you visit Korea often? Maggie Kang – I spent every summer vacation in Korea. My parents always thought we would eventually return to Korea, so I spent a lot of time there. ㅡKorean sensibilities that naturally became ingrained Maggie Kang – I think I watched a lot of TV whenever I came to Korea during vacations, haha. Every summer when I went to Korea, there were hit songs that were popular at the time. I went to karaoke with my cousins and sang popular songs, and those memories are really nice. Jae-jin Jin – Which singers did you like? Maggie Kang – For singers, it was H.O.T.. I was an H.O.T. fan, and also Seo Taiji and Boys. ㅡSeo Taiji and Boys – <As the Night Grows Deeper> (1992)ㅡDeux – <Look Back at Me> (1993) ㅡInfluenced by the singers she liked in childhood, Korean songs were inserted throughout the film Maggie Kang – My mother always said to me, “You are Korean. You must not forget the Korean language.”So I always kept those words in my heart. Even though I now hold a Canadian passport, in my heart I have always felt 100% Korean. Yoo Jae-suk – How did you start animation? Maggie Kang – My dad really loved movies. So from a young age, I was very interested in storytelling. When I wrote stories, I would draw character designs and scenes alongside them, and when my dad saw that, he bought me animation books. From that moment, I thought, “Animation can be a job!” I started learning 2D animation and took a story test at DreamWorks. I passed and joined DreamWorks. Jo Se-ho – Do you remember the animations you liked as a child? Maggie Kang – I liked Dooly, and I also remember <Candy Candy>. I was influenced a lot by Korean cartoons, and also by Western ones. Things like Disney as well. I liked many different things. ㅡA director who loved animation from a young age Yoo Jae-suk – You worked a lot as a storyboard artist at DreamWorks, right? Shrek 3, Kung Fu Panda 2, Minions 2. ㅡWhat is a storyboard artist?ㅡWhen making a movieㅡThe first step is writing. (Screenplay work). But the screenplay is not perfect.ㅡThe role of a storyboard artist is to visualize the screenplay.ㅡWhen I am assigned a scene, I express things like camera angles, character placement, movement, and mood through drawings.ㅡAnimation is created based on these planned drawings.ㅡThe job of visualizing how scenes will be constructed through storyboards.ㅡThe next step after storyboard artist is storyboard supervisor.ㅡAfter that comes the director, who plans the story and oversees everything overall. ㅡThe director’s first directorial work <K-Pop Demon Hunters>

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《K-Pop Demon Hunters》 Conversation with Director Maggie Kang (Kang Min-ji)

On the tvN program <You Quiz on the Block>, Maggie Kang, the director of <K-Pop Demon Hunters>, appeared and shared stories related to the work. The contents are compiled here. ㅡA KDH sing-along bus appearing in ChicagoㅡOnly a two-day special screening… KDH ranks No.1 at the North American box officeㅡElectrifying people all over the worldㅡ**<K-Pop Demon Hunters>**ㅡNo.1 in 43 countries on NetflixㅡAchieved 236 million viewsㅡThe Korean who ignited the <KDH> craze worldwideㅡDirector Maggie Kang (Kang Min-ji) <Golden> ㅡThe phrase “the most Korean becomes the most global” has become reality.Maggie Kang – I never imagined a single film could become this popular.Yoo Jae-suk – The harmony of K-pop and Korean culture in the battle against evil spirits is a stroke of genius.ㅡAn animation set in Korea that uses K-pop music, telling the story of the girl group “Huntrix,” who protect fans from the evil-spirit boy group “Saja Boys” while saving the world from demonsㅡReleased in June and ranked No.1 in 43 countriesㅡCumulative view count surpasses 236 million viewsㅡBecomes the most-watched film in Netflix historyㅡStill breaking records even nowㅡOST <GOLDEN> No.1 on Billboard HOT100, No.1 on the UK Official Singles Chart, with 8 OST tracks lining up on music chartsYoo Jae-suk – Did you expect this kind of craze?Maggie Kang – While making the songs, I hoped K-pop fans would accept them as K-pop and see Huntrix and Saja Boys as idol groups. But I never imagined our songs would reach Billboard. That’s what feels so surreal. Seeing Huntrix and Saja Boys “fighting” on the Billboard chart is also unbelievable.ㅡMovie scenes becoming reality (Soda Pop, Golden)ㅡLee Jae, who personally composed and sang <Golden> – became a hot topic after it was revealed she had been an SM trainee for 10 years!Maggie Kang – I watched the recording of <Golden> in New York. She sang the high register 20–30 times in a row. It’s an extremely difficult song. I asked her to make it difficult, because when you hear high-range vocals, you feel uplifted. I wanted to create a song that gives a swelling, overwhelming feeling. Our movie gives positive energy.Yoo Jae-suk – The lyrics keep saying “UP” too.LyricsㅡWe’re goin’ up, up, up, it’s our moment.ㅡYou know together we’re glowingㅡGonna be, gonna be golden ㅡWith its bright, powerful message and addictive chorus, the <Golden> cover challenge spread across SNSㅡLoved by all ages and gendersㅡVarious parodies also emergedㅡOnly two days of screening, yet No.1 at the U.S. box office… 25 billion KRW in revenueㅡ“Shall we seal the soul gate with a sing-along?” 7-hour wait for the U.S. sing-along busㅡThe world is now in the <KDH> crazeYoo Jae-suk – Not only the songs, but scenes from the film are becoming hot topics as wellㅡBuzz-worthy scene – eating an entire roll of gimbap in one biteYoo Jae-suk – People even try copying the act of eating a whole gimbap roll at onceㅡAs interest in gimbap surged, videos of people making gimbap themselves also gained popularityㅡ13 million views for the Soda Pop challenge Director Kang Min-ji’s Childhood ㅡAt age 5, emigrated at a young age – to CanadaㅡAlthough Korean could have been forgotten if not used, she still speaks fluent KoreanMaggie Kang – When I first went to Canada, I only used English. We didn’t use Korean at home. After six months, my English became perfect. After that, my mom gave me Korean books, but I couldn’t read them. She said, “This won’t do,” and from then on she made me sit down and study. Three to four times a week, for several hours each time, I had to study Korean no matter what. Dictation, repeated reading. At the time, I really hated it, but now I’m so grateful.ㅡStudying itself is not easy for a five-year-old. Now, Korean language study has become a huge assetYoo Jae-suk – Even after emigrating to Canada, you visited Korea often?Maggie Kang – I spent every summer vacation in Korea. My parents always thought we would return to Korea someday, so I spent a lot of time there.ㅡNaturally ingrained Korean sensibilityMaggie Kang – I think I watched a lot of TV whenever I came to Korea on vacation, haha. Every summer there were hit songs that were popular at the time. I went to karaoke with my cousins and sang popular songs. Those memories are really precious to me.Jae-jin – Which singers did you like?Maggie Kang – I liked H.O.T. I was a fan of H.O.T., and also Seo Taiji and Boys.ㅡSeo Taiji and Boys – <As the Night Goes On> (1992)ㅡDeux – <Turn Back at Me> (1993)ㅡKorean songs inserted throughout the film, influenced by artists she loved in childhoodMaggie Kang – My mother always told me, “You are Korean. You must not forget the Korean language.” I always remembered that. Even though I now hold a Canadian passport, in my heart I have always felt 100% Korean.Yoo Jae-suk – How did you get started in animation?Maggie Kang – My father really loved movies, so from a young age I was very interested in storytelling. When I wrote stories, I also designed characters and drew scenes. My father saw that and bought me animation books. From that moment, I thought, “Animation can be a career!” I started learning 2D animation and took a story test at DreamWorks. I passed and joined the company.Jo Se-ho – Do you remember the animations you liked as a child?Maggie Kang – I liked Dooly, and I remember <Candy Candy>. I was influenced a lot by Korean animation, and also by Western animation like Disney. I liked many different things.ㅡA director who loved animation from childhoodYoo Jae-suk – You worked a lot as a storyboard artist at DreamWorks, right? Shrek 3, Kung Fu Panda 2, Minions 2.ㅡWhat is a storyboard artist?ㅡWhen making a film,ㅡThe first step is writing (screenplay). But the screenplay is not perfect.ㅡThe role of a storyboard artist is to visualize the screenplay.ㅡWhen assigned a scene, they draw camera angles, character positions, movement, and atmosphere.ㅡAnimation is created based on these planned drawings.ㅡIt is the

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" class="blog-post-title">A Conversation with Director Maggie Kang of <K-Pop Demon Hunters>

Director Maggie Kang of the film <K-Pop Demon Hunters> appeared on the tvN program <You Quiz on the Block> and shared various stories related to the work. Those contents have been captured here. ㅡThe K-DeHun Sing-along Bus appeared in ChicagoㅡOnly held special screenings for two days… K-DeHun No. 1 at the North American box officeㅡEnthusiastically received by people all over the worldㅡ<K-Pop Demon Hunters>ㅡNo. 1 in 43 countries on NetflixㅡReached 236 million viewsㅡThe Korean who caused the <K-DeHun> fever worldwideㅡDirector Maggie Kang <Golden> ㅡThe saying “The most Korean thing is the most global thing” has become a reality. Maggie Kang – I didn’t even know a single movie could be this popular. Yoo Jae-suk – The harmony between K-pop and Korean culture in the process of confronting evil spirits is a “godsend.” ㅡAn animation set in South Korea using K-pop music, featuring a girl group “Huntress” who protects the world from evil spirits and protects fans from an evil spirit boy group “Saja Boys.”ㅡRanked No. 1 in 43 countries after being released in JuneㅡSurpassed 236 million cumulative viewsㅡBecame the most-watched Netflix movie of all timeㅡStill breaking records even nowㅡOST <GOLDEN> No. 1 on Billboard HOT 100, No. 1 on the UK Official Singles Chart, 8 OST songs lining up on music charts Yoo Jae-suk – Did you expect this kind of fever? Maggie Kang – While making the songs, I wanted K-pop fans to accept these songs as K-pop and accept Huntress or Saja Boys as idol groups. But, I never thought our song would go all the way up to Billboard. I think that’s so amazing. It’s also fascinating to see Huntress and Saja Boys fighting on the Billboard charts. ㅡSituations in the movie that became reality (Soda Pop, Golden)ㅡLee Jae, who directly composed and sang <GOLDEN> – became a hot topic after it was revealed she was an SM trainee for 10 years! Maggie Kang – I saw her recording <Golden> in New York. She did the high pitch range 20 to 30 times in a row. It’s a very difficult song to sing, right? I asked Lee Jae to make it difficult. Because when you hear songs in a high register, you get “UP.” I wanted to make a song that gives a heart-fluttering feeling. Our movie gives positive energy. Yoo Jae-suk – The lyrics also have “UP” coming out repeatedly. LyricsㅡWe’re goin’ up, up, up, it’s our moment.ㅡYou know together we’re glowingㅡGonna be, gonna be golden ㅡThe <Golden> cover challenge spread on SNS with a bright and powerful message and an addictive chorusㅡPopularity regardless of age or genderㅡVarious parodies appearedㅡNo. 1 at the US Box Office in just two days of screening … 25 billion won in revenueㅡ”Should we seal the Spirit Gate with a sing-along?” 7-hour wait for the US Sing-along BusㅡThe world is currently in <K-DeHun> fever Yoo Jae-suk – Not only the songs, but scenes in the movie are becoming hot topics. ㅡThe scene of interest – The scene of eating a whole roll of Gimbap Yoo Jae-suk – People are even imitating eating a whole roll of Gimbap. ㅡAs interest in Gimbap intensifies, videos of people making Gimbap themselves are gaining popularity.ㅡThe 13-million-view Soda Pop Challenge Director Maggie Kang’s Childhood ㅡImmigrated at the young age of 5 – CanadaㅡYou can forget Korean if you don’t use it, but her Korean is still fluent Maggie Kang – When I first went to Canada, I only used English. I didn’t use Korean at home. They said I spoke English perfectly in 6 months. After my English became perfect, my mother gave me a Korean book, but I couldn’t read it. My mom said, “This won’t do,” and from then on, she sat me down and started studying. Three to four times a week, for several hours, I absolutely studied Korean. I did dictation and read repeatedly. At the time, I really hated doing it, but now I’m so grateful for it. ㅡStudying itself is not easy at age 5. Korean study has now become a great asset. Yoo Jae-suk – Even though you immigrated to Canada, did you visit Korea often? Maggie Kang – I spent all my summer vacations in Korea. Because my parents always thought they would return to Korea, we spent a lot of time in Korea. ㅡKorean sensibilities naturally ingrained in the body Maggie Kang – I think I watched a lot of TV whenever I came to Korea during vacations, haha. Every summer when I went to Korea, there was a hit song trending at that time. I have really good memories of going to karaoke with my cousins and singing popular songs. Production Team – Which singers did you like? Maggie Kang – For singers, it was H.O.T. I was a fan of H.O.T., and also Seo Taiji and Boys. ㅡSeo Taiji and Boys – <As This Night Goes Deep>(1992)ㅡDeux – <Turn Around and Look at Me>(1993)ㅡKorean songs inserted throughout the movie, influenced by the singers she liked as a child Maggie Kang – My mother always said, “You are Korean. You must not forget the Korean language.” So I always remembered those words. Although I hold a Canadian passport now, in my heart, I have always felt 100% Korean. Yoo Jae-suk – How did you start in animation? Maggie Kang – My dad really likes movies. So I’ve been interested in storytelling since I was little. When I wrote a story, I drew character designs and scenes there, and my dad saw that and bought me an animation book. So from that moment, I thought, “Animation can be a job!” and started learning 2D animation, then took a story test at DreamWorks. I passed and joined DreamWorks. Jo Se-ho – Director, do you remember the animations you liked when you were young? Maggie Kang – I liked Dooly too. I also remember <Candy Candy>. I was influenced a lot by Korean cartoons and also by the Western side. Things like Disney. I liked various things. ㅡA

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K-Pop Demon Hunters : A Conversation with Director Maggie Kang (Kang Min-ji)

tvN <You Quiz on the Block> Director Maggie Kang, the creative force behind K-Pop Demon Hunters, appeared on tvN’s popular talk show You Quiz on the Block, where she shared behind-the-scenes stories and personal reflections about the film. Here is a comprehensive summary of that conversation. A Global Phenomenon Begins “Golden” — When the Most Korean Became the Most Global “The idea that ‘the most Korean is the most global’ has become reality.” Maggie Kang admitted she never imagined one film could gain this level of popularity. Host Yoo Jae-suk praised the film’s brilliant fusion of K-pop and Korean culture in the battle against evil spirits, calling it “a masterstroke.” K-Pop Demon Hunters tells the story of a K-pop girl group, Huntrix, who secretly protect the world from demons, battling an evil demon boy group, Saja Boys, while performing as idols. Maggie Kang explained that while creating the music, her hope was simply that K-pop fans would accept Huntrix and Saja Boys as real idol groups. She never imagined the songs would climb the Billboard charts. “Seeing Huntrix and Saja Boys competing on Billboard felt surreal.” Creating “Golden” The song Golden was composed and sung by EJAE, a former SM Entertainment trainee of 10 years. Maggie Kang recalled watching EJAE record the song in New York, singing extremely high notes repeatedly—20 to 30 times in a row. “I asked her to make it difficult on purpose. High notes lift people up emotionally. I wanted a song that makes you feel empowered—because our movie gives positive energy.” Lyrics like: “We’re goin’ up, up, up, it’s our moment”“Gonna be, gonna be golden” helped fuel viral cover challenges, parodies, and massive global engagement across social media. Cultural Impact Beyond the Screen Global interest in Korean culture surged: Maggie Kang’s Roots “At the time, I hated it. Now I’m incredibly grateful.” She spent every summer vacation in Korea, watching TV, singing the latest hits at karaoke with cousins, and absorbing Korean pop culture. Her favorite artists growing up: These influences appear throughout the film’s soundtrack. “Even though I have a Canadian passport, I’ve always felt 100% Korean in my heart.” From Storyboard Artist to Director Inspired by her father’s love for films, Maggie Kang developed an early passion for storytelling and animation. She worked as a storyboard artist at DreamWorks, contributing to: She explained that storyboard artists visually translate scripts into camera angles, character movement, and emotional tone—forming the blueprint of an animated film. K-Pop Demon Hunters is her directorial debut. Why She Made K-Pop Demon Hunters After 20 years in animation, Maggie Kang longed to see an animated film that truly represented Korea. “I kept waiting for someone else to make it. When it didn’t happen, I thought—why not me?” She drew inspiration from Korean folklore: These elements evolved into demon hunters and stylish, mysterious antagonists. The concept combined: Traditional elements woven into the film include: Meticulous Korean Details Director Yoo Jae-suk praised the film’s astonishing realism: Maggie Kang credited the many Korean artists on the production team. “If the rice and soup were switched, someone would immediately say, ‘That’s wrong.’ This film was made together by Koreans.” Voices and Cast “Having Lee Byung-hun alone made the film feel like a true Korean movie.” Seven Years, One Love Letter to Korea “This movie is my love letter to Korea and K-pop.” She admitted to deep insecurities: “I wondered if I had the right to make a film representing Korea.” The overwhelming global response erased those doubts. “I poured my entire heart into this. If people didn’t like it, I thought I’d quit animation. That’s how much it meant to me.” The Message “The message is about overcoming fear within yourself.” Through characters like Rumi and Jin-woo, the film explores hidden fears and insecurities. “We may never completely erase our fears, but we can learn to acknowledge them—and grow stronger.”

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