"KPop Demon Hunters’" influence stretches beyond the TV screen; it brought a community together and boosted business sales at Utah’s local K-pop stores.
The movie, which came out on June 23, follows a group of K-pop idols as they face a demon boy band, while one of the idols struggles with her own demons and must come face to face with her biggest fear.
Some of the songs from the movie’s soundtrack have even reached the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 chart. "Golden," by the fictional girl group HUNTR/X, is the longest-running No. 1 animated act in Billboard’s history, holding the top spot for five weeks.
“KPop Demon Hunters” was a major talking point of the summer thanks to its success on Netflix, its box office performance during a special singalong showing and its popular soundtrack, which has gone viral online, spawning numerous TikTok dances and trends. But its success stretched beyond the box office; it has reached Utah’s own communities.
Utah is home to two K-pop stores: K-pop Hive in American Fork and Kaeguli KPOP Shop in South Jordan. These two stores have witnessed the impact that the movie has had on the K-pop community as well as the local community.
“We have more customers who ask about our ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ items," said Neisha Sykes, owner of Kaeguli KPOP Shop. "Other customers say the movie is what got them into K-pop, and some visit our store to find out more about K-pop.”
K-pop has been slowly growing, with a few groups such as Blackpink and BTS breaking out into mainstream media. However, with the release and success of the movie, K-pop has reached mainstream status.
K-pop Hive has noticed a rise in sales of merchandise and products from groups that inspired the film’s fictional bands, such as Blackpink and Twice. The store has also helped draw attention not only to itself but also to another Korean-owned business in Orem. In collaboration with The Tea Barn, K-pop Hive hosted an outdoor screening of the movie.
“People were asking, ‘Are you gonna have KPop Demon Hunters?’ So we were like, okay, why don't we celebrate their success, and let's show the movie,” said Rosie Acosta, K-pop Hive’s social media manager. “We told the Tea Barn about it, how we're interested in doing this event, and they were like, ‘Oh, yeah, let's do it here.’”
The new movie has brought people together and introduced new people to K-pop. BYU’s Vocal Point as well as Noteworthy, have both posted content to their social pages covering songs from the movie’s soundtrack.
BYU’s own K-pop club has also seen a difference in recognition around campus. Club President Elizabeth Johnson has noticed that more students are aware and interested in K-pop
“We ran a booth at New Student Orientation, and a lot of people came up to our booth just because they're like, ‘Oh yeah, I saw K-pop Demon Hunters,'" Johnson said. "And so that is cool, and I expect to get a lot more attention."
Provo has a small but welcoming K-pop community, and BYU’s K-pop club meets on Tuesdays at 8:30 p.m. in the West Ballroom of the Wilkinson Student Center. K-pop Hive and Kaeguli KPOP Shop are both active on social media, sharing news as well as other community events.