K-animation’s absence: Why Korea hasn’t produced its own ‘Zootopia 2’ or ‘KPop Demon Hunters’
Animation dominates both theaters and streaming platforms. Courtesy of Walt Disney Company Korea, Netflix
Global interest in Korean culture — from K-pop and K-food to K-beauty — is hotter than ever. Yet animation remains a lagging sector. Even as well-made animated works gain attention both at home and abroad, the fact that Korea still lacks a globally recognized animated character beyond Pororo underscores a sobering reality.
This year’s No. 1 film at the Korean box office was the Japanese animated movie “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Infinity Castle,” which overtook the Korean live-action hit “Zombie Daughter.” Other Japanese animated titles such as “Chainsaw Man: Reze Arc” and “Jujutsu Kaisen” also enjoyed major success. The momentum has continued with animation. Disney’s “Zootopia 2” surpassed 4 million moviegoers just 13 days after its release and has dominated the box office without serious competition. Industry observers say the trend is likely to continue through the year-end peak season.
Animation’s strength is also evident on streaming platforms. Netflix’s animated film “KPop Demon Hunters” recorded the highest cumulative viewership of any Netflix film to date, generating a phenomenon-level response. The work’s use of K-culture drew explosive global attention, and songs from its soundtrack even entered the Billboard charts. Meanwhile, the franchise expansion of Japan's “Attack on Titan” continued to prove its global reach, topping Netflix rankings and selling out a large-scale collaboration concert in France.
In contrast, Korea lacks a standout animated feature that can serve as a representative title. Even when domestic animated films overcome difficult production conditions and secure theatrical releases, they rarely achieve strong box office results. Last year’s “Heartsping: Teenieping of Love” was a commercial success, but it fell short of developing into a sustainable franchise, leaving lingering disappointment.
The Japanese animated film “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Infinity Castle” ranks first at the Korean box office for this year. Courtesy of CJ ENM
Korean animation production faces multiple barriers. First, production budgets are small. The production cost of “Zootopia 2” is estimated at about $150 million, or roughly 220 billion won. Even accounting for Disney’s scale, most Korean animated films are produced on budgets well under 10 billion won, making it difficult to compete in terms of scale. Even when projects are completed, the industry structure makes it hard to translate them into profits. Without profits, investment in sequels dries up, leading to a vicious cycle that discourages further production.
“Compared to overseas productions, our budgets are about one-tenth the size. We are bound to lose in a battle of scale,” a Korean animation studio official said. “There is a strong perception that animation cannot generate large profits, which leads to cautious production and, ultimately, makes it difficult for high-quality works to emerge.”
Another chronic limitation is the overly narrow target audience. Many Korean animated works are aimed primarily at infants and children. As a result, all-ages content that appeals to teenagers and adults — like Japanese animation or Disney and Pixar films — remains rare. With limited room for layered storytelling, social messages and emotional depth tailored to broader audiences, it is difficult to build fandoms among adults with strong purchasing power, slowing overall industry growth.
Korea does have animated intellectual properties known internationally, but most are confined to the children’s market. Feature-length animations with narratives and sensibilities that resonate globally have yet to emerge. The reasons Korea has not produced a global hit like “Zootopia 2” or “KPop Demon Hunters” are complex, and industry insiders say now is the time to develop a comprehensive strategy to foster the rise of K-animation.
This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.