Traditional Korean dishes take the spotlight, but the most iconic one is missing.
In the global Netflix sensation “Kpop Demon Hunters”, several Korean dishes make an appearance — naengmyeon, seolleongtang, gimbap, ramyeon, eomuk, and hotteok. Yet, one of Korea’s most iconic foods — kimchi — is completely absent. Why?
It was a deliberate choice by director Maggie Kang. In a recent interview with the American political and culture outlet Salon.com, she explained:
“I told the team never to put kimchi on the table. I banned any mention or appearance of kimchi in the film.”
The reason?
“Because treating kimchi as the only food that represents Koreans has become a total cliché.”
Instead, she wanted to spotlight Korean foods that international audiences might be less familiar with.
The film features a variety of dishes like naengmyeon, seolleongtang, gimbap, ramyeon, eomuk soup, and hotteok. Among them, naengmyeon holds a particularly personal meaning for both Maggie Kang and co-director Chris Appelhans.
“Naengmyeon is a North Korean dish. My father is from North Korea, and so is Chris’s father-in-law. So it’s a symbolic dish for both of our families,” said Kang.
In the film, the three members of the fictional K-pop group HUNTR/X — Rumi, Mira, and Zoey — are secretly demon hunters. To fuel their performances and battles, they consume large amounts of carbohydrates.
The seolleongtang scene shows a moment of comfort and warmth:
“For Koreans, comfort food usually means soups or stews,” explained the director. The scene depicts Rumi sharing a hot meal with her teammates after struggling to hit a high note.
The production team also paid close attention to visual details. From the sesame oil sheen on the gimbap to the chopped green onions on the seolleongtang — even the green melamine bowls common in Korean snack shops — everything was faithfully recreated.
“Many Korean viewers commented on the authenticity of those little details. That felt really good to hear,” Maggie Kang concluded.
Journalist: Shawn
Translator: Shawn
Source: Netflix, Salon.com
