‘Golden’ From ‘K-Pop Demon Hunters’ Wins Oscar for Best Original Song, Lee Jae Says ‘Everyone Sings in Korean’

By Choi Songhee Posted : March 16, 2026, 11:21 Updated : March 16, 2026, 11:21
Ray Ami, Lee Jae and Audrey Nuna, who performed the ‘K-Pop Demon Hunters’ OST [Photo: Yonhap via Reuters]
Netflix’s animated film ‘K-Pop Demon Hunters’ won the Oscar for best original song for its soundtrack track ‘Golden,’ giving the film two Academy Awards on the night.

The 98th Academy Awards were held at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, at 7 p.m. local time on March 15. ‘Golden’ beat other nominees including ‘Dream of a Train,’ ‘Viva Verdi!’ and ‘Sinners: Xenus’ to take the prize.

Lee Jae, Mark Sonnenblick, Kwak Jung-gyu and Lee Yu-han went onstage together to accept the trophy for ‘Golden.’

Holding the award and tearing up, Lee Jae said, “Growing up, people teased me if I said I liked K-pop, but now everyone is singing lyrics in Korean.” Lee added, “Like this song, this award isn’t just about success — it’s about the strength to endure and recover.” The film had earlier won the Oscar for best animated feature, adding best original song to cap a standout night.

‘K-Pop Demon Hunters’ is an action-fantasy animation about a K-pop idol group that uses music to defeat evil spirits and protect the world. Since its release last June, it has drawn more than 300 million views — a first for Netflix — and ‘Golden’ reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100, fueling a global craze. 




* This article has been translated by AI.

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