Korean cultural elements were highlighted during the “Golden” performance of KPop Demon Hunters at the 98th Academy Awards (the Oscars), held on March 15 in Los Angeles, United States. Among these elements was Pansori, a traditional musical storytelling performed by Lauren Han and Halley Kim. They performed Hunter’s Mantra from KPop Demon Hunters, a film that received both Best Animated Feature Film and Best Original Song at the Oscars.
Lauren Han is a Korean actress and singer based in Los Angeles. She was born in Korea and immigrated to the United States at the age of nine. Her passion for music and films, led her to portray various roles, including Mulan at Disneyland, O‑Ren Ishii in Tarantino Live, and, recently, performing as a Pansori vocalist for the opening of “Golden” at the 98th Academy Awards. She also appeared in numerous films and TV projects, including Beef (Netflix), Loot (Apple TV+), Partners in Rhyme (ALLBLK), Unexpected Treasures, and many more.
In an email interview conducted from March 23 to April 3, Lauren Han shared her journey and experience performing at the Oscars.
Although Han has primarily been involved in musical theater, she has always been fascinated by Pansori and has immense respect for those who dedicated their lives to it. She learned some of the traditional Korean dance and singing style while performing in Korean musicals in Koreatown. But she never thought she could actually perform Pansori since it’s considered a challenging style to master. “It was not until I had to prepare for the Oscars that I had to buckle down and really study the art form. With the limited time we had, I dedicated countless hours studying and practicing, and to my surprise, Pansori felt incredibly natural and organic on my voice, almost as if I was born to sing it. You could say it certainly was in my DNA. I have never felt this kind of connection with any other genres before. Something powerful takes over when I begin singing Pansori, and it feels incredible. I plan to continue training and incorporating it into my repertoire while honoring the craft and the culture as much as I can,” she explained.
“I had the incredible privilege and honor to sing as one of the vocalists who opened the ‘Golden’ performance at the Oscars. Halley Kim and I sang the Hunter’s Mantra in a traditional Korean singing style called Pansori,” she continued.
According to her, the preparation for any performance, regardless of its length, can be an incredible amount of work for everyone involved. Personally, she invested hours in mastering the Pansori art form and practicing every nuance of the notes and movements, down to the fingertips. “The Hunter’s Mantra is a mixture of pop and Pansori, but I still wanted to do it justice. It also required a significant mental preparation. I wanted to go beyond just singing the notes, as Pansori is never about “singing the notes,” nor perfection. It is storytelling. I spent a long time thinking about what each note means to me and what I want to tell with every single one. It is the Oscars after all,” she said.
Talking about showcasing Korean culture at the Oscars, she can hardly believe that she had the opportunity to be a part of something significant, a part of history. Growing up, she often encountered puzzled expressions when she mentioned she was from Korea, many questions about where Korea is, and sometimes, dreaded questions arose, whether she came from South or North. While the questions often come from good intentions or genuine curiosity, it shows how little awareness people have of their country. “I was told to hide and erase my Asian identity, to feel ashamed of my roots, and to hear that Asians don’t know how to sing. Fast forward some years, and now we are singing at one of the most prestigious stages of all time and winning awards! It is an understatement to say that I feel extremely lucky and grateful to have been chosen as one of the performers to represent my beautiful country and culture that I love and am proud of,” she said.
She also said that this performance was more than showcasing our Korean culture and Pansori. “As the lyrics of the Hunter’s Mantra say, ‘To light up the darkness, we shall sing our songs. With strong voices, we will fix this world.’ Such beautiful lyrics that make all of us feel emotional. That is what Pansori is about. What music is about. The power of music brings people together and unites them. I am so happy that we all collectively had this remarkable unifying experience together.”
Her most memorable moment during the preparation was in their first rehearsal together. “We ran our song from beginning to end without stopping, and at the end of the song, we cried, even Ejae, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami. This performance meant so much for so many of us. All of us felt an enormous amount of gratitude and emotions,” she shared.
Through the Oscars performance, she wants to tell people that, “No matter where you are in life, what you’re going through, and what you’ve been through, know that you are not alone. I hope that through music, we can find hope, healing, and connection with one another, and expand our empathy for others.”
She also plans to continue her journey as an artist, a performer, and a storyteller. “Whether through singing, acting, writing, or filmmaking, I hope to tell many stories, including my own. I also want to help those around me who feel small or invisible by amplifying their voices and strengthening their confidence,” she concluded.
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