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Seoul to host 2025 Hunters Festival featuring 'KPop Demon Hunters' performances

A scene from the Netflix animated film ″KPop Demon Hunters″ [NETFLIX]


Seoul, the backdrop of the global Netflix hit “KPop Demon Hunters,” will host the 2025 Seoul Hunters Festival at 6 p.m. on Sunday at Seoul Plaza in the heart of the city.

Ten teams, which will be made up of both Koreans and foreigners, will take the stage to compete with live cover performances of songs from the film’s original soundtrack, featuring its choreography. A panel of judges will choose four winning teams — two for vocals and two for dance.

For five rounds, the dance contestants will perform EXO’s “Love Me Right” (2015) and Saja Boys’ “Soda Pop” and “Your Idol,” while the vocal contestants will sing MeloMance’s “Love, Maybe” (2022) and HUNTR/X’s “Golden.”

Among the performers are a group of elementary school students who sang “Golden” in a video that has accumulated over 9.2 million views on YouTube. Participants were chosen from diverse nationalities spanning Asia, North and South America and Europe.

The festival will be hosted by singers DinDin and Rainbow member Cho Hyun-young.

There will also be audience participation programs, such as a dance party as well as a dance lesson for “Soda Pop” through the guidance of a professional choreographer.

The taekwondo demonstration team K-Tigers will be the star of the event’s finale, staging unique performances of “Soda Pop” and “Your Idol.” The team participated in producing the action scenes and choreography for “KPop Demon Hunters.”

The 2025 Seoul Hunters Festival is open to the public, free of charge. It will also be livestreamed on the YouTube channel under the handle @VisitSeoulTV.

“The 2025 Seoul Hunters Festival is an opportunity to offer visitors a unique and memorable experience of the city of Seoul,” Kil Ki-yon, CEO of the Seoul Tourism Organization, said in a statement. “The organization will continue to develop programs that allow foreign tourists to experience the energy of K-culture and the charm of the city, strengthening Seoul’s position as a global travel destination.”

BY SHIN MIN-HEE [shin.minhee@joongang.co.kr]