Netflix’s hit animation “KPop Demon Hunters” / Courtesy of Netflix
From global streaming phenomenon to historic firsts on Broadway and classical music stages, 2025 was a year of both expansion and reckoning for Korean culture.
K-pop continued to redefine its reach across music, animation and tours, while “KPop Demon Hunters” reshaped how K-pop and Korean heritage are consumed globally. Korean musical theater broke new ground with a Tony Award win, while the domestic film industry confronted challenges amid changing audience trends. Major transitions — from BTS completing military service to the “Squid Game” saga coming to an end — highlighted both the expanding influence of Korean culture and the new challenges it faces on the global stage.
‘KPop Demon Hunters,’ where K-pop becomes global cultural language
One of this year’s most unexpected global cultural breakouts is the movie “KPop Demon Hunters.”
Since its release on June 20, the supernatural action-comedy animation has amassed well over 500 million views as of December, becoming the most-watched film in Netflix’s history. Its popularity expanded beyond the streaming platform, sparking singalong screenings in theaters across the U.S., the U.K., Spain, Mexico, New Zealand and Korea.
The film’s Billboard-topping single, “Golden,” performed by the fictional K-pop group Huntrix, earned five Grammy nominations and landed on the shortlist for Best Original Song for the Academy Awards.
The worldwide success of “KPop Demon Hunters” marks a historic turning point for K-pop, extending its influence beyond music into cinema as a narrative force in its own right.
The fact that it’s a Hollywood production built around distinctly Korean cultural touchstones — K-pop fandom, food and folklore — speaks to how the country’s once-marginal culture has entered the global mainstream. The film points to “a new phase of the Hallyu wave,” according to Kyong Yoon, a professor at the University of British of Columbia, in which Korean content appears in increasingly diverse forms and reaches audiences through mega-entertainment platforms.
Four participants, dressed as the gold crown from the Silla-era Seobongchong Tomb, pose beside the original artifact during the National Museum of Korea’s “Dress Like a Museum Exhibit” event in Seoul, Sept. 27. Newsis
Boom in Korean cultural heritage
This year, the National Museum of Korea, the country’s largest state-run museum, set a new record. For the first time since its opening, it welcomed over 6 million visitors in a single year.
Sales of museum merchandise rose in tandem. Products drawing on motifs from Korea’s cultural heritage and folklore brought in a record-breaking 35.6 billion won ($23.9 million) as of November.
Factors behind this popularity are numerous. One frequently cited example is the “Room of Quiet Contemplation,” which presents just two gilt-bronze pensive Bodhisattva statues in a darkened chamber. By inviting visitors into solitary encounters with the artifacts, the space redefined how traditional culture could be experienced and continues to attract steady crowds.
Elsewhere, the museum has embraced playfulness. Its “Dress Like a Museum Exhibit” contest, in which participants transformed themselves into ancient relics — from Silla-era gold earrings to Buddhist statues — allowed history to be worn and performed in the present context.
Popular culture has further amplified this momentum. The viral success of “KPop Demon Hunters” added to the surge, weaving elements of traditional Korean art and folklore into its visual world, such as “Tiger and Magpie” folk paintings and “gat,” the translucent horsehair hat once worn by noblemen.
Darren Criss, right, and Helen J. Shen perform in a scene from the Broadway production of the musical “Maybe Happy Ending.” The musical, co-written by Hue Park and Will Aronson, bagged six trophies at the Tony Awards, the first as a show originating from Korea. Courtesy of Maybe Happy Ending
‘Maybe Happy Ending,’ first Korean musical to win Tony Awards
“Maybe Happy Ending,” co-created by composer Will Aronson and lyricist Hue Park, made history as the first original Korean musical to win at the Tony Awards, bagging six trophies, including Best Musical. Park’s win for Best Original Score marked another milestone, making him the first Korean national to receive the biggest honor in musical theater and signaling a new chapter for Korean creators on the global stage.
Set in a near-future Seoul, the story follows two obsolete Helperbots, Oliver and Claire, who form an unexpected bond while living in an apartment for outmoded robot models. Though the show uses a science fiction backdrop, it ultimately explores universal themes of love, loss and resilience, resonating with audiences far beyond its futuristic setting.
Premiering in Korea in 2016, the musical quickly won over local audiences with its emotional depth and inventive storytelling. The Broadway production, starring Darren Criss and Helen J. Shen, opened in November 2024 and received strong critical acclaim as well as enthusiastic audience response.
Riding the momentum of its Broadway triumph, a new Korean production opened in October at the Doosan Art Center and has been enjoying a sold-out run through January. A national tour is set to follow, underscoring the show’s enduring resonance at home as well as abroad.
Teaser images for BLACKPINK member Rosé’s solo single “APT.,” featuring American pop star Bruno Mars, left, and “Golden,” the original single from Netflix’s animated hit KPop Demon Hunters / Courtesy of The Black Label, Netflix
K-pop’s global reach expands beyond music
K-pop’s influence continued to expand in 2025, extending beyond the music charts and into streaming content and global pop production models.
BLACKPINK’s Rosé continued to gain international traction with her solo single “APT.,” which circulated widely across North America and Europe through streaming platforms and short-form video apps. The song’s performance highlighted the growing ability of K-pop artists to compete in universal pop markets without particular reliance on region-specific promotion.
The industry’s push beyond music was also reflected in Netflix’s animated film “KPop Demon Hunters,” which introduced a fictional K-pop universe to international audiences. Its accompanying soundtrack, including the Grammy-nominated “Golden” and “Soda Pop,” drew steady international streams, reinforcing the viability of K-pop as long-term intellectual property rather than a release-driven genre.
At the same time, K-pop’s production system continued to globalize. Multinational groups such as U.S.-based global girl group KATSEYE under HYBE Labels, JYP Entertainment’s GIRLSET, SM Entertainment’s dearALICE and HYBE’s Latino boy band SANTOS BRAVOS have all similarly adopted K-pop’s training and development model while targeting Western markets, each gaining notable traction this year.
These developments underscore K-pop’s shift from a regional export into a transferable global pop framework, influencing how international acts are trained, marketed and launched.
K-pop boy group BTS is expected to release a new album next year after a military hiatus. Courtesy of BigHit Music
BTS completes military service, sets stage for full-group return
All seven members of K-pop juggernaut BTS have completed Korea’s mandatory military service this year, formally ending the group’s nearly two-and-a-half-year hiatus.
The group’s hiatus concluded with Suga’s discharge on June 21, who fulfilled alternative service obligations. Jin and J-Hope were discharged in 2024, followed by RM and V on June 10 and Jimin and Jungkook on June 11.
Despite the hiatus, BTS maintained a strong global presence through solo releases, collaborations and fan engagement, helping preserve the group’s influence and commercial standing during the break.
HYBE has said the group is preparing for a full-member comeback targeting spring 2026, though details have not been announced. Industry observers expect the reunion to generate major impact across touring, album sales and fan platforms, marking one of the most consequential returns in K-pop history since the group paused activities in December 2022.
From left are K-pop girl group NewJeans members Hyein, Haerin, Danielle, Hanni and Minji. Courtesy of Ador
NewJeans return to Ador after court ruling, but uncertainty remains
All five members of K-pop girl group NewJeans have officially announced their return to the group’s label, Ador, following a yearlong contract dispute that raised broader questions about artist-management relations in the K-pop world.
The group announced its return Nov. 12, days after a Seoul court ruled on Oct. 30 that the members’ exclusive contracts with Ador remained valid. Ador first said members Haerin and Hyein had agreed to continue activities under the company, followed hours later by a separate announcement made by members Minji, Hanni and Danielle.
The dispute had cast uncertainty over one of K-pop’s most commercially successful groups, despite NewJeans maintaining strong global streaming performance and limited brand partnerships throughout the legal battle.
While the court ruling restores contractual clarity, Ador is yet to announce a timeline for the group’s new releases or promotions.
A scene from Japanese animation “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba — The Infinity Castle” / Courtesy of CJ ENM
No film hits 10 mil. admissions mark
For the first time since the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, no film reached the 10-million admissions milestone in the Korean box office this year.
Overseas animated features dominated the box office, though the total number of moviegoers remained well below pre-pandemic levels. Disney’s “Zootopia 2” took the lead, garnering 6.4 million viewers as of Dec. 23 and becoming the year’s most popular film, followed by Japanese animation “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba — The Movie” with 5.68 million viewers.
The surge of Japanese animation is particularly notable. With “Demon Slayer” and “Chainsaw Man The Movie: Reze Arc” both ranking in the top five, their combined audience reached over 9.1 million. The industry view is that these titles have captured younger audiences who seek quality and well-known content at theaters. This trend also reflects a shift where audiences only choose films with established fandoms.
While the Korean film “My Daughter is a Zombie” ranked third with around 5.63 million admissions, it was the only local title to make it into the top ranks. According to the Korean Film Council, foreign films earned 529.2 billion won ($357 million) from January to November, outperforming Korean films, which brought in 405.8 billion won.
The trend suggests that the traditional strategy for Korean big-budget films is failing. As ticket prices climb, the industry is likely to confront a harsh reality where only top-tier overseas content prospers in local theaters.
A scene from the Netflix series “Squid Game” Season 3 / Courtesy of Netflix
‘Squid Game’ concludes with Season 3
Netflix’s Korean original “Squid Game” released its third season on June 27, marking the finale of the series that became a global cultural phenomenon. The six-episode finale followed protagonist Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) as he embarks on a mission to end the deadly games after a failed rebellion and his ultimate sacrifice to protect innocent lives.
Season 3 made history as the first Netflix show to debut at No. 1 in every country where it was released, cementing the show’s status as a worldwide phenomenon. Since its 2021 debut, “Squid Game” not only dominated global viewing charts but also redefined expectations for non-English-language television shows.
For the first season, it won a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Television Series for O Yeong-su, as well as three Screen Actors Guild Awards. In 2022, it went on to win six Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Lead Actor for Lee Jung-jae and Outstanding Directing for Hwang Dong-hyuk.
Beyond awards, the series played a significant role in elevating the global profile of Korean content and accelerating the international expansion of Korean content.
Conductor Chung Myung-whun / Yonhap
Chung Myung-whun appointed La Scala’s music director
In May 2025, conductor Chung Myung-whun was appointed the next music director of La Scala, Italy’s historic opera house in Milan, becoming the first Asian to hold the post. His tenure is expected to begin in 2027.
Inaugurated in August 1778, La Scala is regarded as one of the world’s leading opera and ballet theaters, attracting top artists from around the globe.
Born in Seoul in 1953, Chung is one of the most renowned Koreans in the classical music world. Chung began studying piano at the age of five and was recognized early as a prodigy. At eight, he moved to the United States to pursue his musical education and later graduated from the Juilliard School. He first gained international attention as a pianist after winning second prize at the 1974 International Tchaikovsky Piano Competition, but soon shifted his focus to conducting.
From 2006 to 2015, he was music director of the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra. Also, he has conducted major orchestras including the Berlin Philharmonic, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Vienna Philharmonic and more. He currently serves as music director for the KBS Symphony Orchestra.
His two sisters, Kyung-wha and Myung-wha, are musicians as well, a violinist and a cellist, respectively.
Actor Cho Jin-woong / Newsis
Stars in controversy
Korea’s entertainment industry faced a turbulent 2025, as high-profile legal disputes and scandals involving leading stars stalled major projects and shook public confidence.
Actor Kim Soo-hyun remains entangled in a bitter legal battle with the family of the late actor Kim Sae-ron over claims of past relationships and consequent contractual and financial disputes.
Public backlash also hit major figures in the entertainment scene.
Comedian Park Na-rae halted all activities after former managers sued her for workplace harassment and illegal medical acts. Restaurateur and TV personality Paik Jong-won also lost public trust after his franchises were hit with scandals involving hygiene issues and unfair pricing. These scandals showed that even the most famous stars can lose public trust when they act unethically.
Another startling piece of news was the retirement of actor Cho Jin-woong, following revelations of his juvenile criminal record. His departure highlighted the growing demand for accountability in the industry.