Foreign tourists browse K-Pop Demon Hunters collaboration merchandise at an Eight Seconds store in Myeongdong, Seoul. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Jan. 2 (Korea Bizwire) — Characters from the animated film K‑Pop Demon Hunters are drawing online attention that rivals — and in some cases surpasses — that of real-world global pop stars, underscoring the growing power of virtual idols in the social media age.
According to an analysis cited by The Guardian, data from marketing firm Pulser show that the fictional girl group Huntrix and boy band Saja Boys are mentioned on social media more frequently than major artists such as Lady Gaga, Ed Sheeran and Billie Eilish.
The surge is being driven by highly organized fan activity. Fans interact with the characters as if they were real K-pop idols, coordinating streaming campaigns, competing to boost chart performance and expanding the film’s universe through memes, TikTok dance challenges and fan fiction. Choreography from the movie has become a recurring social media trend, while character imagery continues to circulate widely across platforms.
Visitors pose for photos at the official Seoul pop-up store for the Netflix animated film K-Pop Demon Hunters, which opened on Jan. 4 in Seongsu-dong, Seoul. (Yonhap)
Six months after its release, demand for merchandise, music and spin-off content remains strong. The Guardian predicted that Huntrix’s “golden era” could extend through 2026, sustained by an unusually durable fan base.
K-Pop Demon Hunters follows Huntrix, a chart-topping girl group that moonlights as demon hunters when offstage. The film became the most-watched movie in Netflix history, while its soundtrack achieved a rare feat on the Billboard Hot 100, landing four songs in the Top 10 simultaneously. Its lead track, “Golden,” was also shortlisted for the Academy Award for best original song.
The success highlights how fictional performers, backed by cinematic storytelling and real-world fandom mechanics, are increasingly blurring the line between entertainment genres — and challenging the dominance of traditional pop stardom.
The tiger character Duffy and the protagonist Lumi from K-Pop Demon Hunters. President Lee Jae-myung of South Korea cited the tiger ‘Duffy’ and the Grim Reaper as the most striking characters. Tigers once thrived across the Korean Peninsula, but indiscriminate hunting led by the Japanese during the colonial era drove them to extinction in Korea. (Image courtesy of Netflix)
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
