Professor Seo Kyung-duk: “Japanese Atrocities Publicized Worldwide Through OTT”
[Star News | Reporter Moon Wan-sik]
The Netflix series “K-Pop Demon Hunters” (Kedemon) is making waves by informing global audiences about Japan’s historical atrocities. A recent video by an international TikToker revealed that after watching “Kedemon” and researching tiger history, they discovered that Japan wiped out all Korean tigers in the past century.
The video has garnered 180,000 likes and 1.2 million views, with over 2,000 comments recalling Japan’s past actions.
During the Japanese occupation, Japan identified Korean tigers as “harmful animals” and organized hunts starting in 1917.
Professor Seo Kyung-duk of Sungshin Women’s University commented that this isn’t the first time Japanese historical aggressions have been highlighted via OTT platforms. Apple TV+’s “Pachinko” effectively depicted the tragic experiences of Koreans during the Japanese occupation, such as forced labor and military comfort women, bringing these stories to global viewers. Similarly, Netflix’s “Gyeongseong Creature” highlighted human experiments by Unit 731 during the Japanese occupation.
Professor Seo emphasized that the success of Korean content on OTT platforms has enabled the widespread dissemination of Japan’s wartime atrocities to global audiences. He expressed hope that more diverse Korean content will continue to spread worldwide, ensuring that Asia’s history reaches a global audience effectively.