It was another moment widely discussed on the global awards stage at the Oscars. At the 98th annual ceremony in 2026, the animated film KPop Demon Hunters a joint production by Sony Pictures Animation and Netflix, won the Best Animated Feature award and also took home Best Original Song for "Golden." The film triumphed over major competitors like Zootopia 2 and Elio.
Meanwhile, Lee Jae, the singer and songwriter of "Golden," went on stage to accept the award and said, “Thank you. I am deeply honored that the Academy has given us this prestigious award. When I was young, others teased me for liking KPop, but now everyone sings these songs. As the lyrics say, this award is not about success but about perseverance. I am grateful to everyone who supported us, and thank you to Netflix as well.”
However, just as Lee Yu-han, the music team's producer, was about to give his thank-you speech with a prepared script, the orchestra started playing music signaling that time was up, abruptly cutting off his speech in front of viewers worldwide. Although he quickly grabbed the microphone to continue, the music did not stop. Lee Jae waved to ask for the music to halt, but it kept playing.
This incident drew heavy criticism, with some questioning if it was an act of Asian discrimination or unfair treatment. Others suggested that the event organizers might have set strict time limits, prompting the orchestra to start playing when time expired. However, compared to the same event, many actors and artists were given as much as 3 to 4 minutes on stage.
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