Philly native, Danny Chung, rises to K-Pop fame

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- A Philadelphia native is going up, up, up and has a message for his hometown community. K-Pop Demon Hunters songwriter and actor, Danny Chung, still bleeds Eagles green, but is also, undoubtedly, golden.

He says his journey from Philly to Asia to Hollywood is beyond his wildest dreams.

"My first home was in Germantown, then we moved to Olney. My parents actually drove me an hour away into the suburbs so I could get like a suburban education, but we couldn't afford to live there at the time," Chung tells Action News.

Chung also lived in Northeast Philadelphia, then in Chinatown when he was a college student.

When asked what it was like to grow up in Philadelphia, he said, "It was great. I love Philadelphia. I've traveled a lot in my life. I've lived in different places, but I think Philadelphia is special."

Chung's a double birds fan. He's a die-hard Eagles devotee and says he'd love to meet Jalen Hurts one day. He was also once a Temple Owl, studying communications.

"My family, we all watched Action News. My mother actually wanted me to become a news broadcaster at one point," he said.

But Chung's real interest was in music, especially K-Pop.

"I remember going and buying K-Pop CDs above the H-Mart. Back then there was only one H-Mart, and that was the only place in Philly that you could get K-pop," he recalled.

Chung's career took him to Seoul, Korea, where he became a songwriter and creative force at TheBlackLabel, penning a couple of Blackpink's most famous anthems, including "How You Like That" and "Pink Venom."

When I asked him how he got involved with K-Pop Demon Hunters, he said it was thanks to a Philadelphia connection.

A childhood friend with her own production company called him as she was searching for songwriters for the film.

"I was just so honored that they would even ask so I jumped at the opportunity," he said.

Chung co-wrote "Soda Pop" and "How It's Done." He is also the speaking and singing voice of Baby Saja.

K-Pop Demon Hunters became the most-watched original title in Netflix history.

RELATED: 'KPop Demon Hunters' a golden moment for Korean culture

"The fact that it was just embraced on such a huge level, it's hard not to get emotional about that, seeing an animated kimbab on screen or ramen on screen -- or just seeing the kids -- that you know fell in love with this movie and took this movie to where it is now. When I was their age, no one even knew what Korea was. People would just call me Chinese to a point where I thought I was Chinese," Chung said.

Not anymore. K-Pop Demon Hunters brought Korea to the forefront of American consciousness and won two Oscars in the process, making Academy Awards history!

"That was completely outside the fantasy. I never even dreamed of that. We're sitting behind Steven Spielberg and sitting next to Ryan Coogler and Michael B Jordan. It was just incredible to be there," Chung said.

When asked if he imagined hitting it big when he was growing up in Philadelphia and he says, "I was delusional to think so, but I think that delusion helped me, you know, persevere. I see incredibly talented people, but they don't have the word ethic or the personality or just the ambition."

Chung now spends a lot of time in Bangkok, Thailand, where he is developing TheBlackSea, a second arm of TheBlack Label, but says he'll always come back to the Philly roots that made him.

"Philadelphia is a talent city. It really set my standard high for what art is. I don't think I would look at art the same if I didn't grow up around a city that was immersed in it, like Philadelphia," he said.

When asked what his message would be to kids who want to be Danny Chung when they grew up, he said, "Danny Chung is taken. The more beautiful thing is to be yourself."