Maggie Kang

Maggie Kang
Kang in 2026
Born1981 or 1982 (age 43–44)[1]
Seoul, South Korea
CitizenshipCanada
EducationSheridan College
Occupations
  • Storyboard artist
  • writer
  • director
Notable workKPop Demon Hunters
SpouseRadford Sechrist
Children1
Honours Okgwan Order of Cultural Merit (2025)
Korean name
Hangul
강민지
[2]
RRGang Minji
MRKang Minji

Maggie Kang (born 1981 or 1982)[1] is a South Korean and Canadian storyboard artist, writer, and director. She is best known for creating the story for KPop Demon Hunters (2025), which she co-wrote and directed with Chris Appelhans. The film earned the duo two Annie Awards, a Golden Globe Award, and an Academy Award.

Life and education

Kang was born in Seoul, South Korea. When she was five, her family moved to Toronto, Canada, for her father's work. The family decided to stay in Canada, and Kang grew up there.[3] She studied animation at Sheridan College in Ontario.

Career

In her third year at college, Kang was recruited to DreamWorks Animation.[4][5] She served as a story artist for such animated films as Puss in Boots (2011), Rise of the Guardians (2012), and Kung Fu Panda 3 (2016).[4][5][6] She served as head of story for The Lego Ninjago Movie (2017).

In 2018, Kang developed the concept for KPop Demon Hunters (2025). She has cited numerous inspirations for the film: Twice and Blackpink for the fictional K-pop girl group Huntrix[7][8][9][10][11]; Monsta X for the fictional boy band the Saja Boys[12]; and The Host for the film's tone and style.[13][14] In a lunch meeting, she pitched the idea to Sony, which bought the rights and began development one week later.[15] Kang said Ejae's song demos helped get KPop Demon Hunters greenlit. She directed the flim with Chris Appelhans[16][6][17].

In March 2026, it was announced that a sequel is planned for release in 2029.[18] Kang and Appelhans negotiated a contract with Netflix for the sequel: a five-year, $10 million-per-year plus a share of ancillary revenue from the franchise.[19]

In April 2026, Kang signed with agency The Present Company to launch activities in South Korea.[20]

Personal life

Kang in 2025

Kang is married to Radford Sechrist, creator of Netflix series Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts.[21] In 2020, Sechrist said that Kang took him to BTS concerts, and said the K-pop genre was close to his heart.[22]

She has said that Sechrist gave her the idea for merging Korean mythology and K-pop, and that they thought up the concept for the animation film K-Pop Demon Hunters. Sechrist is said to have designed characters and written "a lot of the scenes" for the film.[21] Sechrist designed the Derpy Tiger character in the film, basing it upon minhwa and his cat Yumyan.[23][24][25]

Sechrist and Kang have a daughter, who voiced the younger Rumi in KPop Demon Hunters.

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2025 KPop Demon Hunters Director Netflix original film [26]
2026 KEEP SWIMMING with BTS Herself Short-form mini-documentary [27]

Accolades

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Work Result Ref.
2025 Alliance of Women Film Journalists Best Animated Feature KPop Demon Hunters (with Chris Appelhans) Won [28]
Austin Film Critics Association The Robert R. "Bobby" McCurdy Memorial Breakthrough Award KPop Demon Hunters Won [29]
Celebration of Asian Pacific Cinema and Television Animation Award Won [30]
The Female Lead Women of the Year Honored [31]
IndieWire Honors Spark Award KPop Demon Hunters (with Chris Appelhans and Ejae) Honored [32]
KALH Honors Pioneer Award KPop Demon Hunters Honored [33]
Korean Association of Film Critics Awards FIPRESCI Award (Foreign) KPop Demon Hunters (with Chris Appelhans) Won [34]
Marie Claire Asia Star Awards Director of the Year KPop Demon Hunters Won [35]
TikTok Korea Awards Entertainment of the Year Award Won [36]
Toronto Film Critics Association Best Animated Feature KPop Demon Hunters (with Chris Appelhans) Runner-up [37]
World Animation Summit Movie of the Year Award Honored [38]
2026 Academy Awards Best Animated Feature KPop Demon Hunters (with Chris Appelhans and Michelle Wong) Won [39][40]
Annie Awards Best Direction – Feature KPop Demon Hunters (with Chris Appelhans) Won [41]
Best Writing – Feature KPop Demon Hunters (with Chris Appelhans, Danya Jimenez, Hannah McMechan) Won
Asia Game Changer Awards SoCal Entertainment Game Changer KPop Demon Hunters Honored [42]
Astra Film Awards Best Animated Feature KPop Demon Hunters (with Chris Appelhans and Michelle Wong) Won [43]
Chicago Indie Critics Best Animated Film Won [44]
Critics' Choice Movie Awards Best Animated Feature Won [45]
Departure Festival + Conference Cultural Innovator Award KPop Demon Hunters Honored [46]
Golden Globe Awards Best Motion Picture – Animated KPop Demon Hunters (with Chris Appelhans and Michelle Wong) Won [47]
Hugo Awards Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form KPop Demon Hunters (with Chris Appelhans, Danya Jimenez, Hannah McMechan) Pending [48]
Humanitas Prize Family Feature Pending [49]
International Cinephile Society Best Animated Film KPop Demon Hunters (with Chris Appelhans) Nominated [50]
Latino Entertainment Journalists Association Best Animated Feature Won [51]
Nebula Award Ray Bradbury Nebula Award for Outstanding Dramatic Presentation KPop Demon Hunters (with Danya Jimenez, Hannah McMechan) Nominated [52]
VIEW Conference Trailblazer Award KPop Demon Hunters Honored [53]

Other accolades

State and cultural honors

Name of country or organization, award ceremony, year given, and name of honor
Country or organization Award ceremony Year Honor Ref.
South Korea Korea Content Awards 2025 Okgwan Order of Cultural Merit (4th class) [54]
City of Toronto Departure Honours 2026 Key to the City [55][56]

Listicles

Name of publisher, year listed, name of listicle, and placement
Publisher Year Listicle Placement Ref.
Forbes 2025 100 Most Powerful Women[A] 100th [57]
Time 2025 Time100 Next Innovator Included [58]
Creative 2026 Creative 100 Directors[B] Included [59]
Gold House 2026 Gold100 List[C] Included [60]

Notes

  1. ↑ with The female creators and cast of the Netflix animated film KPop Demon Hunters
  2. ↑ with Chris Appelhans
  3. ↑ with Michelle Wong, Arden Cho, May Hong, Ji-young Yoo, Ejae, Audrey Nuna & Rei Ami

References

  1. 1 2 Choi, Bo-yun (October 2, 2025). "KPop Demon Hunters' Maggie Kang Named Time100 Next Innovator". The Chosun Daily. Archived from the original on December 8, 2025. Retrieved December 7, 2025.
  2. ↑ 신주영 (August 24, 2025). '케데헌' 매기 강 감독 "한국 문화 있는 그대로 보여주고 싶었다" ["Kpop Demon Hunters" Director Maggie Kang: "I wanted to show Korean culture as it is"]. Kyunghyang Shinmun (in Korean). Archived from the original on November 17, 2025. Retrieved June 13, 2026.
  3. ↑ Kim, Ji-ye (June 26, 2025). "In 'KPop Demon Hunters,' Maggie Kang brings genre out of its comfort zone". Korea Joongang Daily. Archived from the original on July 20, 2025. Retrieved August 9, 2025.
  4. 1 2 Gheciu, Alex Nino (August 2, 2025). "How Toronto Director Created 'Kpop Demon Hunters': Filmmaker's Debut Animated Film has Become a Global Smash". Toronto Star. pp. C6. ProQuest 3235644122. Retrieved August 14, 2025 – via Proquest.
  5. 1 2 Gheciu, Alex Nino (July 29, 2025). "How Toronto's Maggie Kang created the Netflix smash hit 'KPop Demon Hunters'". CBC. Archived from the original on July 29, 2025. Retrieved September 28, 2025.
  6. 1 2 "Maggie Kang". Sony Pictures Animation. Archived from the original on August 11, 2025. Retrieved August 9, 2025.
  7. ↑ Kim, Eun-jae (July 1, 2025). "[INTERVIEW] EJAE on Writing the Hits and Singing for Rumi in KPop Demon Hunters" (Interview). Genius. Archived from the original on July 15, 2025. Retrieved February 15, 2026.
  8. ↑ Kang, Maggie (June 19, 2025). "Director Maggie Kang reveals who inspired 'KPop Demon Hunters' characters" (Interview). Interviewed by Laura Sirikul. Forbes. Archived from the original on July 16, 2025. Retrieved June 23, 2025.
  9. ↑ Bell, Crystal (July 9, 2025). "How 'K-pop Demon Hunters' became a love letter to K-pop and its fandom". Mashable. Archived from the original on July 16, 2025. Retrieved July 9, 2025.
  10. ↑ Bell, Crystal (July 9, 2025). "How 'KPop Demon Hunters' became a love letter to K-pop and its fandom". Mashable. Archived from the original on July 16, 2025. Retrieved February 4, 2026.
  11. ↑ Berman, Eliza. "KPop Demon Hunters Is TIME's Breakthrough of the Year". Time. Archived from the original on January 28, 2026. Retrieved February 4, 2026.
  12. ↑ Sirikul, Laura. "'KPop Demon Hunters' Director Reveals Who Inspired The Characters". Forbes. Archived from the original on July 16, 2025. Retrieved February 4, 2026.
  13. ↑ Opie, David. "KPop Demon Hunters director Maggie Kang on how Bong-Joon-ho inspired the Netflix hit". Screen. Archived from the original on October 2, 2025. Retrieved October 5, 2025.
  14. ↑ "'We all have inner demons': Why KPop Demon Hunters resonates globally". The Indian Express. October 4, 2025. Archived from the original on October 5, 2025. Retrieved October 5, 2025.
  15. ↑ Kirichanskaya, Michele (July 16, 2025). "Interview with Maggie Kang, Creator of KPop Demon Hunters". Geeks Out. Archived from the original on August 8, 2025. Retrieved December 21, 2025.
  16. ↑ Fell, Nicole (August 6, 2025). ""I Don't See the Fandom Slowing Down": How 'KPop Demon Hunters' Became One of Netflix's Biggest — and Most Unexpected — Hits". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on August 6, 2025. Retrieved August 11, 2025.
  17. ↑ Kim, Regina (July 21, 2025). "'KPop Demon Hunters' Took 7 Years to Make but a Lifetime of Experience". The New York Times. Archived from the original on July 21, 2025. Retrieved August 11, 2025.
  18. ↑ Rubin, Rebecca (March 12, 2026). "'KPop Demon Hunters 2' Confirmed by Netflix and Sony: 'This Is Only the Beginning'". Variety. Archived from the original on March 12, 2026. Retrieved March 14, 2026.
  19. ↑ Belloni, Matthew (March 20, 2026). "Netflix's 'KPop' Sequel Megadeals". Puck. Retrieved April 14, 2026.
  20. ↑ "Oscar winner Maggie Kang signs with entertainment agency in Korea". Korea JoongAng Daily. April 23, 2026. Retrieved April 26, 2026.
  21. 1 2 Nguyen, Hanh (July 2, 2025). "KPop Demon Hunters' seriously derpy tiger: "It was genius"". Salon. Archived from the original on July 3, 2025. Retrieved September 5, 2025. Sechrist, who happens to be married to Kang ...
  22. ↑ Bishop, Rollin (October 20, 2020). "Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts: Rad Sechrist and Bill Wolkoff Talk Season 3, Jamack, and Prom at the End of the World". Comic Book. Archived from the original on May 6, 2025. Retrieved December 21, 2025.
  23. ↑ Kim, Soo (September 5, 2025). "'KPop Demon Hunters' Director Reveals Secret Cameo, 'Fun' Idea for Sequel". Newsweek. Archived from the original on September 5, 2025. Retrieved September 28, 2025.
  24. ↑ Byrne, Suzy (August 21, 2025). "Hairstyle of the Summer: How 'KPop Demon Hunters' Sparked a Beauty Craze". Yahoo! Entertainment. Archived from the original on August 22, 2025. Retrieved December 7, 2025.
  25. ↑ Sarkar, Ishani (November 7, 2025). "Who created Netflix's KPop Demon Hunters? Meet Maggie Kang". South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on December 19, 2025. Retrieved December 19, 2025.
  26. ↑ This fantasy-musical, directed by Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans. Archived from the original on June 26, 2025. Retrieved May 3, 2026.
  27. ↑ 매기 강, BTS 다큐 출연… "두려움 극복해야 유의미한 결과 만들어". Retrieved May 3, 2026.
  28. ↑ "The 2025 Alliance Of Women Film Journalists (AWFJ) EDA Award Nominations". Archived from the original on December 30, 2025. Retrieved December 26, 2025.
  29. ↑ Whittaker, Richard (December 18, 2025). "One Battle After Another Tops Austin Film Critics Association Awards". The Austin Chronicle. Archived from the original on December 19, 2025. Retrieved December 19, 2025.
  30. ↑ Hammond, Peter (October 1, 2025). "Lucy Liu, Chloé Zhao, 'KPop Demon Hunters' Among Honorees For Critics Choice 4th Celebration Of AAPI Cinema & Television". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on October 1, 2025. Retrieved October 5, 2025.
  31. ↑ "The Female Lead's Women of the Year 2025". December 30, 2025. Archived from the original on January 5, 2026. Retrieved December 31, 2025.
  32. ↑ Jones, Marcus (November 12, 2025). "IndieWire Honors to Toast Adam Sandler, Kristen Stewart, Chase Infiniti, and More". IndieWire. Archived from the original on November 13, 2025. Retrieved November 12, 2025.
  33. ↑ Cordero, Rosy (November 21, 2025). "Park Chan-wook, Maggie Kang & Lee Byung Hun To Be Honored By Korean American Leaders In Hollywood". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 1, 2025. Retrieved November 22, 2025.
  34. ↑ Seong, Chan-eol (November 6, 2025). "시상식은 없었지만 수상 라인업은 화려 ...45회 영평상 수상작·자 발표" [There Was No Awards Ceremony, but the Lineup of Winners Was Impressive ... The 45th Critics Choice Awards Winners Announced]. Cineplay. Archived from the original on November 13, 2025. Retrieved November 7, 2025.
  35. ↑ 2025 마리끌레르 아시아스타어워즈'에서 '올해의 감독상'을 수상했다. September 21, 2025. Archived from the original on September 21, 2025. Retrieved February 7, 2026.
  36. ↑ "3000명 모인 '틱톡 어워즈''케데헌' 메기 강 감독 "틱톡 팬 영상 보며 혼문 닫히는 것 같아"" (in Korean). October 27, 2025. Archived from the original on January 6, 2026. Retrieved December 10, 2025.
  37. ↑ "One Battle After Another Leads 2025 TFCA Awards Winners". Toronto Film Critics Association. December 7, 2025. Archived from the original on December 8, 2025. Retrieved December 8, 2025.
  38. ↑ "The World Animation Summit Reveals 2025 Hall of Fame Honorees". Animation Magazine. October 3, 2025. Archived from the original on October 24, 2025. Retrieved November 18, 2025.
  39. ↑ Bernabe, Angeline Jane; Leib, Mason (January 22, 2025). "Oscar nominations 2026: Full list of nominees". ABC News. Archived from the original on February 10, 2026. Retrieved January 22, 2025.
  40. ↑ "The 98th Academy Awards | (2026)". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on February 8, 2026. Retrieved January 22, 2026.
  41. ↑ Lewis, Hilary (January 5, 2026). "2026 Annie Awards Nominations: 'Elio,' 'Kpop Demon Hunters' Lead Film Nods". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on February 22, 2026. Retrieved January 5, 2026.
  42. ↑ "2026 ASIA GAME CHANGER AWARDS SOCAL, LA". May 3, 2026. Retrieved May 5, 2026.
  43. ↑ Williams, Aidan (January 9, 2025). "Astra Film Awards Recap: "Sinners," "KPop Demon Hunters" Take Home Top Awards". Los Angeles Magazine. Archived from the original on January 16, 2026. Retrieved February 25, 2026.
  44. ↑ Chicago Indie Critics. "Chicago Indie Critics Announce 2025 Windie Award Nominations". The Rolling Tape. Archived from the original on January 6, 2026. Retrieved January 6, 2026.
  45. ↑ Lang, Brent (January 4, 2026). "Critics Choice Awards 2026: 'One Battle After Another' Wins Best Film, 'The Pitt,' 'Adolescence' and 'The Studio' Dominate TV Prizes". Variety. Archived from the original on February 19, 2026. Retrieved January 5, 2026.
  46. ↑ "Creator Maggie Kang, Russell Peters, Kevin Lyman, More May 4–10". January 21, 2026. Archived from the original on February 26, 2026. Retrieved January 21, 2026.
  47. ↑ Nordyke, Kimberly (January 11, 2026). "Golden Globes: Winners List (Updating Live)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on February 6, 2026. Retrieved January 11, 2026.
  48. ↑ "2026 Hugo, Lodestar, and Astounding Award Finalists". April 21, 2026. Archived from the original on April 21, 2026. Retrieved May 4, 2026.
  49. ↑ "2026 Humanitas Prize nominations: 'KPop Demon Hunters,' 'Abbott Elementary,' and 'Grey's Anatomy' among top contenders". July 13, 2026. Archived from the original on July 13, 2026. Retrieved July 13, 2026.
  50. ↑ "2026 ICS Awards Nominations". January 18, 2026. Archived from the original on January 31, 2026. Retrieved January 18, 2026.
  51. ↑ "Latino Entertainment Journalists Association (LEJA) Film Awards: 'Sinners' Wins 6, Including Best Picture". February 9, 2026. Archived from the original on February 18, 2026. Retrieved February 9, 2026.
  52. ↑ "Here are the finalists for the 2026 Nebula Awards". April 21, 2026. Archived from the original on April 22, 2026. Retrieved May 4, 2026.
  53. ↑ "VIEW Conference Announces Inaugural Industry Trailblazer Awards". April 30, 2026. Retrieved May 1, 2026.
  54. ↑ "Director Maggie Kang Awarded Okgwan Order of Cultural Merit". December 11, 2025. Archived from the original on February 26, 2026. Retrieved December 24, 2025.
  55. ↑ "한인 매기 강 감독,'토론토시 열쇠' 받는다". April 30, 2026. Retrieved May 1, 2026.
  56. ↑ "'KPop Demon Hunters' creator Maggie Kang awarded key to city". torontotoday.ca. May 7, 2026.
  57. ↑ "KPop Demon Hunters Creators Named to Forbes' 100 Most Powerful Women". December 11, 2025.
  58. ↑ "KPop Demon Hunters' Maggie Kang Named TIME100 NEXT Innovator". October 2, 2025. Archived from the original on December 8, 2025. Retrieved December 8, 2025.
  59. ↑ "The 2026 Creative 100: Directors Taking Genre Films to the Mainstream". May 5, 2026.
  60. ↑ "Hudson Williams, Chloe Zhao, Charles Melton, Kehlani and Laufey Among 2026 Gold House Gold100 Honorees". May 1, 2026. Archived from the original on May 2, 2026. Retrieved May 1, 2026.
Wikimedia Commons logo
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Maggie Kang.
This page is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.