ED K-pop in full bloom

From left, Rei Ami, EJAE and Audrey Nuna perform "Golden" from the "KPop Demon Hunters" soundtrack during the 98th annual Academy Awards ceremony at Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, Sunday. EPA-Yonhap

Has spring arrived early for K-culture? The animated film “KPop Demon Hunters" garnered two Oscars on Sunday (local time). One was for Best Animated Film and the other for the song "Golden," which won in the Best Original Song category. While "Golden" had already won awards at the Grammys and Golden Globes, it was the first award for the film itself. Previously, the 2019 Korean film "Parasite" won Best Picture and actor Youn Yuh-jung won Best Supporting Actress for "Minari" in 2020, helping to write Korea's Oscars history.

The accolades for the animated film about K-pop are a belated ray of warm light in an arrested spring of cold days and conflict. It's not the only K-pop event for fans to look forward to, either, with the highly anticipated comeback of K-pop giant BTS this weekend.

Korean cultural content has been enjoying a renaissance for some time now. But while the domestic industry agonizes over whether the animated film produced by Netflix and Sony Pictures Animation is truly Korean, the film has catapulted K-content to another level. The animation's success brought new and renewed attention to Koreans in the industry, both overseas and here. Canadian Korean director Maggie Kang, who co-directed the film with Chris Applehans, said in an interview that she "made the most Korean movie" she could once she realized the "silly K-pop movie" could represent her culture.

The film is filled with gloriously adroit details about Korea and Koreans, done as if in dedication to the country. Everywhere you look, there are elements here and there of Koreanness, like the sheets of stickers that children buy at stationery stores here. Like those stickers, the feeling of love it conveys is simple and therefore powerful. When accepting the award, Kang apologized that it took such a long time for an animated film about people like her to emerge, adding, "This is for Korea and Koreans everywhere."

The film, however, is not only about Korea. Kang had mentioned in interviews that the film touches on the sense of shame every one of us has, and the things we might want to hide. Rumi, the main character, is half-demon, an identity that she initially hides before mustering the courage to be herself — "shinin' like I'm born to be."

These messages are universal, but the form they have found is an ode to the rise of Korean culture. The playful images and upbeat K-pop songs in the film were vital elements. K-pop has been at the leading edge of Korean cultural power and popularity, but always accompanied by questions about its sustainability and how to ensure or define Koreanness. The success of "KPop Demon Hunters" — which has been greenlit for a sequel — shows that Korean content is relatable to multiple generations of people here and overseas. The next cultural winners will be those who can continue to relate to their audiences through the simple power of narrative — of course, with the accoutrements of technology and know-how that has come to define Korean pop culture.

This Saturday, BTS, the titans of K-pop, will take the stage together for the first time since completing their mandatory military service. The band rose to superstardom with its music, but also through its connection with fans. Now they are returning with a new album, "Arirang," and set to perform at Gwanghwamun Square in downtown Seoul. An estimated 22,000 fans have received tickets, and authorities are expecting some 260,000 people to be in the area.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government has joined in to create a monthlong set of cultural experiences and events. The real test is whether the local government, businesses, citizens and visitors are fully prepared and willing to adhere to safety precautions. A recent fire at a capsule hotel resulted in casualties, so authorities have begun conducting safety checks at buildings near the concert venue and barring access to nearby rooftops. Safety preparations must function as spotlessly as BTS' performance.