Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters made history at the 98th Academy Awards, clinching both Best Original Song for “Golden” and Best Animated Feature. However, the celebratory moment was marred by allegations of racial discrimination against the Korean winners.
The controversy ignited when Ejae, the vocalist of “Golden,” took the stage with Korean producers and co-lyricists for their acceptance speech. Ejae began poignantly that growing up, she was teased for loving K-pop. Now, she’s singing in Korean. This award isn’t just about success; it’s about resilience. As Lee Yoo Han from the songwriting team IDO (Lee Yoo-han, Kwak Jung-kyu, Nam Hee-dong) stepped up to speak next, chaos ensued.
Before Lee Yoo-han could utter a word, the orchestra began playing, signaling them to exit. Consequently, Lee Yoo-han, Kwak Jung-kyu, Nam Hee-dong, Seo Jeong-hoon (24), and Mark Sonnenblick were denied their moment. Despite Ejae and Sonnenblick’s pleas for more time, their speeches were abruptly cut short.
Ahn Hyun-mo, live-streaming the event on OCN, expressed frustration, noting the stark contrast with the lengthy acceptance speech allowed for Best Short Film despite the multitude of KPop Demon Hunters winners.
International media swiftly picked up on the incident, criticizing the Academy’s handling of the situation. Deadline reported that the audience was robbed of potentially moving speeches from other winners. They described the scene as Mark Sonnenblick desperately trying to speak even after leaving the stage, to no avail.
The Hollywood Reporter echoed these sentiments, noting that boos erupted from the audience when the speeches were cut short. They added that the winners were only able to share their thoughts with the press backstage.
Vulture, another prominent U.S. outlet, didn’t mince words: While the orchestra interrupted several speeches throughout the night, none felt as blatant or malicious as when the KPop Demon Hunters “Golden” team won. It was a jarring and unfortunate moment for a song that dominated charts all year.
Viewers took to social media to express their outrage. Comments flooded in, ranging from “Let them finish their speeches!” to “They spent 10 minutes on ‘My Best Friend’s Wedding’ but can’t give them a moment?” Many labeled it as racism, lamenting the disrespect shown to the first K-pop Oscar win.
KPop Demon Hunters is a groundbreaking action-fantasy animation following Rumi, Mira, and Zoey – K-pop superstars moonlighting as world-saving heroes. The series shattered Netflix records with over 300 million views. While not funded by Korean capital, it boasts significant contributions from Korean-Canadian director Maggie Kang and a host of Korean artists and musicians.
This ceremony marked two historic firsts: Maggie Kang became the first Korean filmmaker to win Best Animated Feature, while the “Golden” team’s victory represented the first-ever Oscar for Korean artists in the Best Original Song category.
