KPop Demon Hunters, Korean culture and why kids love it so much

The movie of the summer wasn’t in theatres this year. It was on Netflix, it’s called KPop Demon Hunters and kids are obsessed with it. It has become the most-streamed movie ever on Netflix. Four of the songs from the movie are on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.The movie is about a K-pop girl group who are also secret protectors of the world, keeping demons at bay. It’s the brainchild of Korean-Canadian Maggie Kang, and made by Hollywood studio Sony Pictures Entertainment.Ji-yoon An is an assistant professor of modern Korean popular culture at the University of British Columbia. She explains why kids are obsessed with the movie, and how South Korean culture has spread across the world.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at [email protected]

China’s Great Firewall blocks social media platforms like Facebook and TikTok, along with certain political topics, streaming platforms, and even Google. For years, we’ve heard about what China’s firewall keeps out — but much less about how it’s achieved. Now, a massive leak is shedding light on how the country’s censorship technology works and which countries it’s being exported to.Today, the Globe’s Asia Correspondent, James Griffiths is here. He’s an expert on China’s online censorship, and he’s the author of The Great Firewall of China. He’ll explain what the leak exposes, which countries China is replicating its firewall in, and what it all means for the country’s growing global influence.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at [email protected]

For months, there has been speculation about what Prime Minister Mark Carney and the federal government might put forward as “nation-building projects” under the Building Canada Act, Bill C-5. But The Globe and Mail has obtained a draft list of 32 major projects, the first glimpse into what kinds of projects the government is considering.Bill Curry, The Globe’s Deputy Ottawa Bureau Chief, is on the show to talk about what’s on the list, which projects are making the biggest headlines and what it signals about Carney’s priorities.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at [email protected]

As the Hudson’s Bay Company continues to sell off what it owns to pay back creditors, a historic document has come up for sale. The Bay’s charter is its founding document, dating back to 1670, in which King Charles II gave the company exclusive trading rights over much of what would become Canada.Now the court is grappling with finding a process to sell this one-of-a-kind piece of Canadian history after an offer from Galen Weston and his family derailed plans for an auction. Susan Krashinsky Robertson explains how the sale of this document has raised a lot of questions about who gets to own history, who gets to decide and how some of Canada’s wealthiest families have expressed interest in buying it.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at [email protected]

A landmark class action lawsuit is alleging that Manitoba has subjected thousands of incarcerated children to solitary confinement — the province denies it. The case is the first of its kind to head to trial in Canada.Today, Globe reporter Robyn Doolittle joins The Decibel. She’ll describe what segregated confinement looks like, how widespread the practice is, and what the case could mean for youth inmates in Manitoba and across the country.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at [email protected]

The Decibel welcomes Sherrill Sutherland as the host for the coming year, with a special appearance from Menaka Raman-Wilms. You can get in touch with us at [email protected]

When 1.5 million university students return to campus this month, men will be noticeably underrepresented in the student body. In 2025, the ratio is about 60 per cent women to 40 per cent men. The gender gap has existed for more than 20 years, and universities are well aware of the discrepancy. But it doesn’t appear they’re doing much to address it.Joe Friesen is the Globe’s postsecondary reporter. He’s on the show to talk about where that discrepancy comes from, why it seems like fewer men are pursuing higher education, and how the growing gender gap is playing out on and off campus.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at [email protected]

The Toronto International Film Festival has kicked off, but not without controversy. This year, the premiere of the documentary, “The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Sacrifice”, took a brief turn on centre stage. Artists, programmers and filmmakers are locked in a debate about whether to screen the film about an Israeli family’s story during the October 7 attacks by Hamas.Barry Hertz, the Globe’s film editor, traces why TIFF pulled the documentary in the first place, why it was brought back into the lineup, and what TIFF’s flip-flopping says about programming public events in arts festivals. What is the responsibility of an arts organization in balancing artistic expression and free speech?Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at [email protected]

Artificial intelligence in the workplace is here to stay. But what does that mean for the job market? While many Canadian companies are embracing the technology, in a few notable cases, this has led to mass layoffs. In other workplaces, it has meant a revolution in workflow, company culture and hiring practices.The Globe’s Joe Castaldo, who covers AI, and business reporter Sean Silcoff, spoke to executives who are welcoming AI in workplaces. They join us to talk about what this all means for businesses, jobs, and the future of work.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at [email protected]

In August, a man allegedly broke into someone’s home in a small Ontario town. After an altercation, the intruder was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries. Now, both men face charges. The case has sparked a country-wide conversation about the limits of self-defence, with politicians across Canada weighing in.Today, the Globe’s opinion columnist Andrew Coyne joins The Decibel. He’ll tell us how the public discourse is playing out and what Canadian law actually says about self-defense.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at [email protected]