"It feels like cashing out a long-held savings account."

The film's journey began three years ago. It took a full year of preparation—producing, scrapping, revising, and waiting for the right moment. It was initially set for a theatrical release, but was postponed indefinitely. Two years later, it finally saw the light of day.

It was an unfamiliar attempt. After all, there had never been a case of combining a K-pop idol universe with traditional exorcism and action fantasy. There were concerns that it might lack a clearly defined fanbase.

In short, it was difficult to predict commercial success. Yet the global response was explosive. It became the most-watched animation in Netflix history. The OST swept the main Billboard charts.

We met the unsung heroes behind Netflix's K-Pop Demon Hunters: K-Tigers CEO Ahn Chang-bum, K-Tigers' Taemi, and choreographer Ha Sung-jin, who respectively led the film's production, action sequences, and choreography.

◆ Taemi | "More than fun—authenticity"

CEO Ahn was brought on in the early stages of K-Pop Demon Hunters' production. The initial concept was a story centered on dance-infused action. He helped set the guide for authentically Korean choreography.

"Originally, the Huntress' weapons were swords, fans, and shuriken," Ahn explained. "I thought that might give off a foreign vibe. So I made sure to stick to historically accurate, traditional weapons. I wanted to show the real thing, not just something that looked fun."

The action sequences were built on a timetable. Each segment was broken down to the second. "We specified exactly what movements we wanted at specific minutes and seconds," he said.

To deliver authentically Korean action, Taemi—a former national taekwondo athlete turned girl group member—took the stage. Wearing motion capture gear, she completed each movement, which was then rendered into animation on screen.

"Because it's animation, they requested flashier moves than in real combat," Taemi said. "I created action sequences based on taekwondo, like spinning three or four times before a kick."

"For Lumi's sequences, we focused on moves like jumping side kicks, spinning kicks, and side kicks. I was asked to choreograph even one-to-two-second movements in fine detail, breaking them down into segments."

The most important action scene was the bathhouse sequence. From the Huntresses gathering with their weapons to the demon's movements in the water—Taemi's motions were captured for it. The original version was much longer.

"A scene where the Saja Boys throw a punch and the Huntresses dodge with a wave motion was one of many small details," Ahn revealed. "But a lot of it was cut to focus more on the song."

◆ Ha Sung-jin | "The star of the Saja Boys"

Choreographer Ha Sung-jin was in charge of the Saja Boys' dance. He is also a member of K-Tigers and has worked with boy groups such as Rainz and ONEUS. He developed the choreography by looking at the music and motion sketch images.

"I prepared three versions for each song," Ha said. "'Your Idol' was completed by mixing in choreography from Jamm Republic and Lee Jung, while I think about 90% of 'Soda Pop' was adopted."

"If you listen to 'Soda Pop,' you'll hear a can opening sound in the intro. I thought that was the key point. So I incorporated the motion of opening a can and using it for movement."

For 'Soda Pop,' they requested a bright, easy-to-follow dance. This too was created with motion capture gear. ('Playv' member Ha Min is also said to have participated.)

"'Your Idol' didn't even have a sketch," he added. "All I knew was that it was a Grim Reaper version. The key point is a move that looks like you're taking someone's soul. The message was that the song would 'take fans' souls,' expressed through finger gestures."

◆ "We never thought it would blow up like this…"

The K-Pop Demon Hunters craze shows no signs of slowing. The OST album debuted at No. 81 on the Billboard Hot 100 in its first week, then climbed to No. 9, No. 6, No. 4, and No. 2.

'Soda Pop,' 'Your Idol,' and 'Golden' have also sparked a wave of challenges and vocal covers. Real K-pop idols have joined in, fueling the global syndrome. The series has become the most-watched animation on Netflix.

"We honestly didn't expect it to be this popular," they admitted. "Early on, there were internal reviews saying the story was weak or slow. But through endless revisions, we ended up with what we have now. It really feels like cashing out a long-term savings account."

Buoyed by K-Pop Demon Hunters' success, they are dreaming of their next leap. Taemi has been cast as the lead in a Hollywood film, playing a former special agent girl living in LA who loves K-pop. Director Yoon Je-kyun of Ode to My Father is producing.

"I play a flower shop part-timer who loves K-pop," Taemi said. "She ends up turning a city upside down. We're currently doing test shoots. I think I'll be able to showcase K-pop alongside my specialty—taekwondo action."

Ha Sung-jin recently worked on choreography for Rainbow 18's new song. He is also set to perform overseas as part of the Saja Boys. "We're getting flooded with performance inquiries," he said. "We'll start by performing 'Soda Pop' and 'Your Idol' in the Philippines."