Netflix’s smash-hit animated film KPop Demon Hunters is more than just a pop culture phenomenon. It is fueling global interest in Korean heritage products such as the traditional hat, gat, beyond typical K-pop idol merchandise.
Items such as traditional music boxes, bucket hats and AirPods cases, inspired by the show’s lovable characters like a tiger named Duffy and a magpie named Sussi, have been shipped to the US, Canada and Singapore, according to Bunjung Corp., a resale marketplace, on Monday.
Even a ballpoint pen styled after the iconic gat, worn by the Saja Boys, demons in disguise in KPop Demon Hunters, has made its way to the Netherlands.
Those items were official merchandise sold by the National Museum of Korea, inspired by traditional Korean folk art.
Since the film’s release on June 20, Bugjang has seen a 78% surge in cross-border purchases of Korean pop culture and traditional goods on its marketplace, compared to the same period last year. In terms of transaction value, it climbed 56%.
The action fantasy film features K-pop idols as demon-fighting protagonists, blending contemporary Korean pop music with supernatural action.
It has been the most streamed film on Netflix across over 30 countries. Its original soundtrack surged to No. 2 on the Billboard 200 chart in its third week on the list.
“Interest in K-goods is extending beyond popular celebrity merchandise to include items that reflect broader aspects of Korean culture,” said a Bunjang official.
“In line with the growing global popularity of K-content, we’ll enhance our services to make it easier and faster for international users to make purchases,” he added.
Demand for K-goods on the Bunjang platform is evenly spread across North America, Asia, Europe and Oceania.
Its top markets by revenue include the US, Japan, Hong Kong, Australia, Singapore, Taiwan, the UK, Canada, Germany and France.
By Yong-Hyun Shin
yonghyun@hankyung.com
Yeonhee Kim edited this article.
