K-Pop Demon Hunters wins two Oscars, underscoring Korea's animation rise

Netflix’s animated feature K-Pop Demon Hunters won two Oscars at the 98th Academy Awards in Los Angeles, taking Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song for “Golden.”

Director Maggie Kang, one of the film’s co-directors, accepted the Best Animated Feature trophy onstage at the Dolby Theatre as the film’s theme song played in the background. Kang wore a red dress for the moment.

Co-director Chris Applehans spoke after the win, saying that music and storytelling transcend culture and borders to connect people, and he urged young filmmakers, artists, and musicians to tell their stories for a world that is listening.

A moment at the ceremony drew attention online when Maurene Goo, Applehans’ wife, posted a photo on Instagram Stories showing Applehans holding a Shin Ramyun packet and eating the noodles with chopsticks.

Some online comments questioned whether the moment was real or staged, with others joking about the appeal of eating instant noodles on a stage of that magnitude.

Nongshim, the South Korean noodle maker, had announced a collaboration with Netflix last August to feature K-Pop Demon Hunters character designs on Shin Ramyun packaging as well as on Shrimp Crackers packaging, illustrating a cross-media marketing tie between a major streaming property and a popular consumer brand.

For U.S. readers, the win highlights the rising global profile of Korean animation and the increasingly synergetic relationship between streaming platforms, international talent, and cross-border consumer brands. It also underscores how Korean IP can spill over into U.S. markets through both entertainment and product collaborations, potentially boosting demand for Korean media and snack brands in American stores.