East Asian | Pop Goes the Page

The Collection of Korean Folk Paintings (Kyonggi University Museum, 2001). Princeton University Library.

A very hearty congratulations to KPop Demon Hunters for winning two Golden Globes this weekend – Best Animated Feature Film, and Best Original Song!

Not to say my daughter and I are bias, but we believe that KPop Demon Hunters is the best animated movie of all time. Not only does it have a next level soundtrack, is it beautifully styled, well written, and moving. It’s also an incredible representation of East Asian culture, both historic and modern. And today we’re celebrating that culture with minhwa, historic Korean folk art traditionally created by anonymous craftsmen and untrained artists. Specifically, we’re looking at kkachi horangi, a genre of minhwa that depicts magpies and tigers.

In KPop Demon Hunters, one of the main characters (Rumi) is repeatedly visited by a supernatural blue tiger (Derpy) and a six-eyed magpie (Sussie). Derpy is a sweet bumbler, Sussie is a tad more watchful and world-weary.

Image from Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters, 2025

Both hearken back to kkachi horangi paintings in which the tiger represents authority and the magpie represents the common man. The paintings were meant to be satirical images of the feudal hierarchy at the time, so the tiger was often depicted with an intentionally stupid expression, while the magpie was given a more dignified appearance.

Image from Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters, 2025

Following the suggestions of colleagues Minjie Chen, Cotsen Children’s Library Cataloging Team Leader, and Flora Kim, Metadata Operations Specialist, I tapped the the Princeton University Library catalog to acquire The Collection of Korean Folk Paintings (Kyonggi University Museum, 2001). This three-volume set features an incredible array of art, but it was the tigers and magpies I was seeking. Here are a few more images:

The Collection of Korean Folk Paintings (Kyonggi University Museum, 2001). Princeton University Library.

The Collection of Korean Folk Paintings (Kyonggi University Museum, 2001). Princeton University Library.

For those wishing to see more gorgeous images of tigers and magpies, please visit this exhibit on Korea Minhwa Association’s site. If you’d like to see Derpy and Sussie immortalized at Macy’s 2025 Thanksgiving Day parade, you’ll find them here.

Many thanks to Minjie Chen and Flora Kim for their knowledge and expertise!

Book enthusiasts near and far are cordially invited to a fantastic new exhibit!

“Forms and Function: The Splendors of Global Book Making,” is currently in the Ellen and Leonard Milberg Gallery in Firestone Library on Princeton University campus. Curated by Martin Heijdra, Director of PUL’s East Asian Library, the exhibit showcases the diversity and beauty of global book making, focusing on three major traditions of the book form: codex, East Asian, and pothī.

Awash in rich jewel tones and featuring a range of striking visuals, the exhibition features treasures from some of Princeton’s lesser-known collections, as well as items from its renowned collections of Western, Islamic, East Asian, and Mesoamerican manuscripts and printed books. There are also works by modern artists completed in the style of these global traditions. For gallery hours and directions to campus, please click here. The exhibit runs through December 7, 2025.

Can’t make the trip? No worries! There is a video tour here, a digital version of the exhibit here, and a downloadable guide here.

In celebration of the exhibit’s amazing holdings, we selected some of our more unusual book-crafting projects for further fun. Simply click the titles over the images to visit the project pages!

BOOK BOUQUET