Moving the World: A Wave of K-Culture on the High Seas

 
Netflix’s animated film K-Pop Demon Hunters, a global sensation, is changing how people around the world view Hangul. A funny video recently went viral on social media showing foreigners at an overseas club singing along to the film’s OST “Golden” but falling silent when the Korean lyrics came on. YouTube also has videos teaching people how to pronounce “영원히 깨질 수 없는” (“unbreakable forever”). They show a phonetic transcription in Roman letters alongside audio—“yeong won hi kaee jil sou eom neun”—or teach the English-style expression “Unbreakable forever.”
 
In “My Wish,” Kim Gu emphasized, “The one thing I wish for, without limit, is the power of a lofty culture. The power of culture makes us happy and, furthermore, enables us to bring happiness to others.” We have made real the lofty cultural power he so fervently hoped for. K-pop is now proving that “power of culture” to the whole world. No fewer than eight songs from K-Pop Demon Hunters’ OST appeared on Billboard’s main singles chart, the Hot 100, and its lead track “Golden” successively topped the UK Official Charts and the US Billboard charts.
 

 
Every time I set out on a trip, I shoulder my backpack with anticipation and curiosity, but the moment I experienced on this cruise was more powerful and thrilling than any other. One evening, as I was entranced by the sound of waves parting at the bow, a familiar rhythm suddenly rang out through the dining room: “Oppan Gangnam Style!” The atmosphere changed instantly. The crew serving dinner transformed into dancers onstage in a flash, and guests of every nationality and language rose from their seats to dance along. In that moment, the ship was no longer simply a dining room or vessel; it was one enormous concert hall. Even in the middle of the ocean, Korean rhythms were moving people around the world.
 

 
A cruise ship always feels like a miniature version of the world. From the Mediterranean to the Caribbean, people of many nationalities come together in one place. Latin music and pop songs used to dominate the soundtrack, but things have changed. Songs by BTS, BLACKPINK, and SEVENTEEN fill the cabin corridors, and long lines of passengers eager to learn K-pop choreography form at dance classes. That is also why major cruise lines such as Royal Caribbean and Costa make K-pop a must-have in their entertainment programs. K-pop has become more than just music: it is a “universal language” that brings together the bodies and hearts of people around the world. It moves the world. Our K-pop is bringing joy to people everywhere.
 

 
What is fascinating is that this trend does not stay confined to the stage. Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters is a fine example. The premise—that a girl group who commands dazzling stages by day transforms into demon hunters at night—is both inventive and symbolic. The story of fans’ cheers and the energy of the stage turning into a force that defeats demons serves as a metaphor for the support and encouragement that fans and artists give one another in real life. Here, we can once again see the essence of K-culture. It is not merely “content to enjoy,” but a grand story embracing identity, solidarity, and diversity. Music connects people around the world beyond language, while also vividly revealing the cultural power of a small country called Korea.
 
When I go up on deck during a trip and gaze at the star-lit sea, I hear another K-pop melody in the distance. The rhythms once heard in European plazas, on South American beaches, and in African streets have now reached the open sea. It does not matter if you do not know the lyrics exactly or cannot perfectly imitate the pronunciation. Music by itself makes people smile, sway their shoulders, and draw closer to one another.
 
The K-pop I encountered on the cruise meant more than a performance. It was a vivid scene showing how warm and powerful culture can be, and how it can connect humanity across borders and seas. On the way back to port, I thought: the wave of K-culture will not stop now. On the sea and on land, it will keep flowing, moving people’s lives around the world and serving as a bridge that connects them. In the middle of that wave, I too held close once more the excitement that travel and culture bring.