'K-Pop Demon Hunters' kicks off new travel trends
What's the story
The K-Pop Demon Hunters travel trend, linked to a Netflix film released in June 2025, is taking Korean culture to new heights. South China Morning Post cited the example of Christine Kim from Hawaii, who was among the first to join this trend with her family trip to Seoul. Originally planned as a visit to see grandparents, their itinerary changed after her daughter became enamored with the movie's characters, Rumi, Zoey, and Mira.
Cultural immersion
'My daughter seemed to be totally shocked that...'
The Kim family visited a jjimjilbang (Korean spa) and the Namsan Tower, both featured in the movie. Kim said, "My daughter seemed to be totally shocked that the places from the movie were real." She revealed, "I bought my son a black hanbok [traditional costume] and gat [hat] so he could be a Saja Boy for Halloween."
Cultural influence
Cultural impact of the movie
As per the outlet, in July 2025, Seoul saw 1.36 million international visitors, up 23.1% year-on-year, with officials attributing the surge to the K-pop Demon Hunters craze. Creatrip, a Korean travel platform for booking restaurants, K-beauty services, and hanbok rentals, has also benefited from the surge in popularity. Searches for the National Museum of Korea on Trip.com also rose 34% year-on-year in the months after the film's release, as fans flocked to its gift shop for merchandise.