Lee Jae, Korean

Singer Lee Jae won the Best Original Song award at the 98th Academy Awards for "Golden," the OST for the Netflix animation "K-Pop Demon Hunters." Following his win, Lee Jae garnered attention for his "truly Korean moment" by sharing a photo with colleagues and a picture of himself holding the Oscar trophy while eating gukbap (Korean soup with rice).

"K-Pop Demon Hunters" took home two awards, Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song. In his acceptance speech, Lee Jae said, "When I was young, I was teased for liking K-pop, but now everyone is singing our songs in Korean," and tearfully added, "This award is not about success, but about resilience."

The performance of "Golden" at the ceremony enriched the Academy Awards stage by showcasing the beauty of Korean culture through grim reaper performances, traditional Korean instrument music, pansori (traditional Korean narrative singing), and Korean traditional dance. In a backstage interview, Lee Jae expressed pride in presenting Korean culture and traditions as a Korean-American, and shared his newfound pride in his Korean identity, which he once wanted to hide.

The outfit Lee Jae wore at the awards ceremony was designed with gold decorations inspired by ancient Korean crowns and a design inspired by the ceremonial robes of the Korean Empire's imperial family. Notably, the gold embroidery used in the costume borrows the mugunghwa (rose of Sharon) pattern applied to Kim Gachin's ceremonial robe in 1905, symbolizing eternity, perseverance, and life, while the "dangchomun" (grapevine scroll pattern) signifies the flow of life and prosperity.