Pansori and Samulnori on Stage... 'Kedahon' OST 'Golden' Decorates Oscar Celebration Stage

"To brighten the darkness, we will sing our song / With this steadfast sound, we will heal the world."

A poignant line from Pansori resonated on the stage of the 98th Academy Awards, the most prestigious festival in the American film industry, on the 15th (local time).

The performance captivated attention as 24 performers appeared on stage, including Samulnori musicians with traditional Korean instruments like the buk, dancers wearing hats like grim reapers, and female dancers in traditional attire. It created an illusion that it was not the Academy Awards but rather a cultural event from a Korean broadcasting station.

Breaking through the solid walls of the American film industry, where even Korean remarks are rarely heard, the most Korean performance took center stage at the most watched event by film fans worldwide.

The Pansori that echoed that day was from the Netflix animated film 〈K-Pop Demon Hunters〉 (hereafter 〈Kedahon〉), serving as the opening before the main stage performance 'Golden'. Soon after, EJAE, the vocalist of the girl group HuntRix from 〈Kedahon〉, along with Audrey Nuna and Ray Amiga, passionately performed 'Golden'.

Just like the scene where numerous fans waved cheering sticks during HuntRix's performance in the film, famous Hollywood actors also responded to the stage by waving their cheering sticks. Leonardo DiCaprio and Emma Stone were caught on camera holding cheering sticks.

Regarding this, the Korean broadcaster's host Ahn Hyun-mo commented, "It seems HuntRix has sealed the 'Homun' (a shield that blocks evil spirits) of the Dolby Theatre." American NBC News reported that the souvenir bags given to attendees at the ceremony included cheering items.

〈Kedahon〉 did not simply decorate the celebration stage. It achieved the honor of winning both the Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song awards at the ceremony.