Ahn Hyo-seop, who voices Jinu, the demon boy-band leader in Netflix’s "KPop Demon Hunters," dropped in for a virtual sit-down with CBS from Seoul and showed off his fluent English ― punctuating the chat with a playful plea: “Please give Jinu his soul back.”
In the Sept. 28 interview, Ahn broke down why the film is connecting globally and shared his deep affection for the character.
Asked why the story and its music resonate across backgrounds, he pointed to “honesty” as the key. “It’s a story about accepting yourself as you are,” he said, adding that it’s also about facing the “inner demons” we all carry. “Everyone makes mistakes and has things they want to hide, and sometimes our biggest obstacle isn’t the world ― it’s ourselves.” He believes audiences relate because the heroes choose growth over running away.
On Korean culture’s global rise, Ahn called it “surreal” and “amazing.” “When I was a kid, I never imagined Korean culture would be embraced worldwide,” he said. “Seeing people sing along to Korean lyrics, learn the language, and draw inspiration from our films and dramas makes me really proud.”
Ahn said he didn’t see the movie’s success coming, but he’s all-in on a sequel. The characters, he noted, are just beginning their journey with plenty of room to grow. He hopes to see their bonds deepen ― and their music continue to serve as a weapon of hope.
He didn’t hide his soft spot for Jinu, either. “I just want to see Jinu again. Please give him his soul back,” he joked, sending fan anticipation soaring.
Ahn moved to Toronto at age 6 and holds Canadian citizenship. Fluent in both English and Korean, he’s said he feels at ease switching between the two on live broadcasts. Director Maggie Kang reportedly cast him as Jinu after being impressed by an English phone scene in "Business Proposal."
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Kyung-youn)