The day after K-Pop Demon Hunters won the Golden Globe, Korean Twitter was on fire. I couldn’t scroll without seeing 케데헌 everywhere. Let me catch you up on what Koreans are actually saying.
케데헌 (Kedeoheon) - The Nickname
First things first: Nobody in Korea says the full name.
케데헌 (kedeoheon) = K-Pop Demon Hunters abbreviated
It’s a common Korean thing to shorten long titles:
- 오겜 (ogem) = Squid Game (오징어 게임)
- 기생충 stays 기생충 (already short)
- 케이팝 데몬 헌터스 → 케데헌
If you want to talk about this movie online with Koreans, use 케데헌. Otherwise you sound like someone’s parent trying to be cool.
The Memes
1. 김밥 먹는 루미 (Gimbap-eating Rumi)
There’s a scene where Rumi smells gimbap and her face does… something. Then she shoves the entire thing in her mouth in one bite.
This became INSTANT meme material.
Koreans use it for:
- When you’re on a diet but smell good food
- Monday morning mood
- “Me when someone mentions food”
In a mukbang stream chat:
(Translation: “Gimbap Rumi meme is so relatable” / “lol that’s my face every night” / “I literally ordered gimbap after seeing that”)
2. 자본주의 하체 (Capitalism Lower Body)
자본주의 하체 (jabonjuui hache) = “Capitalist lower body”
This is the funniest one. There’s a scene where Rumi is stressed/confused, but her lower body automatically starts doing the Takedown choreography.
The joke: Even when your brain is elsewhere, your body keeps working because you need that paycheck.
It’s now used to describe:
- Working on autopilot
- Going through the motions
- Being mentally checked out but still performing
(Translation: “Survived on capitalist lower body”)
3. 골든글로브 반응 (Golden Globe Reactions)
When 케데헌 won Best Animated Feature at the Golden Globes, Korean communities exploded.
Popular reactions on 에펨코리아 (FM Korea):
- “미국 애니가 K-pop으로 골든글로브 ㄷㄷ” (American animation winning Golden Globe with K-pop wow)
- “이게 진짜 소프트파워다” (This is real soft power)
- “버추얼 아이돌로 데뷔시켜줘” (Please debut them as virtual idols)
The last one became a whole movement. Fans are genuinely petitioning Netflix to release HUNTR/X as actual virtual idols with real albums.
Fan Demands That Went Viral
| Request | Status |
|---|---|
| Virtual idol debut for HUNTR/X | Fan petitions ongoing |
| Official HUNTR/X albums | OST released, fans want more |
| 호랑이 굿즈 (Tiger merch) | Hasbro/Mattel toys coming 2026 |
| Sequel | Confirmed by Netflix |
OST Korean Moments
The soundtrack mixes English and Korean in ways that feel natural (not forced).
Golden - Key Korean Phrases
The song Golden uses Korean strategically. Without quoting lyrics directly, here’s what fans love:
- Korean lines hit during emotional peaks
- The pronunciation is actually good (unlike some Western attempts)
- TWICE members (Jeongyeon, Jihyo, Chaeyoung) performed “Takedown” - so you know it’s legit
Why the Mix Works
Korean fans appreciate that the Korean isn’t just decorative. The phrases mean something in context:
- Identity expressions
- Emotional declarations
- Callback to K-pop’s bilingual nature
(Translation: “Goosebumps every time the Korean part in Golden plays” / “The lyrics don’t feel forced, which is nice” / “More trust because TWICE sang it”)
Internet Slang From 케데헌
New slang that emerged from the movie:
| Slang | Meaning | Usage |
|---|---|---|
| 케데헌 | K-Pop Demon Hunters | The abbreviation |
| 자본주의 하체 | Working on autopilot | When you’re dead inside but still performing |
| 김밥 루미 | Food craving mood | When you see/smell food |
| 퇴마 출근 | Exorcism commute | Going to work like you’re fighting demons |
퇴마 출근 (toema chulgeun) is my personal favorite. It’s when you go to work feeling like you’re about to battle supernatural evil. Very relatable.
My Experience
I wasn’t planning to watch 케데헌 at first. My niece made me. “이모 이거 꼭 봐야해” (Auntie you HAVE to watch this).
Three hours later, I was crying over animated idols fighting their inner demons. The 자본주의 하체 joke hit too close to home - I’ve definitely had days where my body just… performed while my brain was on vacation.
What I love most is how Korean internet adopted this movie. We could’ve been cynical about Americans making K-pop content. Instead, everyone just embraced the memes. The 김밥 루미 face is now saved on my phone for group chats.
My husband still doesn’t get it. But he also doesn’t get why I cried at a cartoon, so there’s that.
This Series
This is Part 3 of our K-Pop Demon Hunters Korean series:
- Part 1: K-Pop Idol Terms - 선배, 막내, 최애 and more
- Part 2: Supernatural Terms - 퇴마, 무당, and Korean shamanism
- Part 3: Memes & Fan Reactions (You’re here!)