K-pop’s growing dialogue with gugak: Is Korea’s pop juggernaut seeking its roots?

With the breakout Netflix hit “KPop Demon Hunters” — whose soundtrack “Golden” became the first K-pop song by a female singer toreach No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 — global viewers found themselves captivated not only by the storyline but also by the film’srich infusion of Korean traditional culture. Among the highlights was the soundtrack’s use of gugak elements, particularly in“Hunter Mantra,” a track built on traditional timbres and chanting techniques. Ejae, one of the three songwriters