Reflection
The international acclaim for “Parasite”, which also won the prestigious Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival last May, highlights South Korea’s emergence as a global cultural power, a reflection of decades of focus on building world-class industries in one of the most vibrant democracies in Asia.
But it also hints at an uncomfortable truth: While the national successes have been spectacular – from Samsung’s rise as a global economic powerhouse to the explosion of K-Pop in Asia and beyond – many South Koreans recognize that there’s been a dark side to that rise. Only a few years ago, Bong himself was blacklisted by the government, and the characters in his film reflect a society where many feel intense hopelessness.
South Korea’s rapid emergence from the devastation of the 1950-53 Korean War also saw a bloody transition from dictatorship to democracy. Its association with neat smartphones and cars came amid a constant threat from nuclear North Korea. For every international success, there’s also widespread worry that South Korea will forever be overshadowed by regional giants Russia,
China and Japan.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who frequently praises mega-popular K-Pop boy band BTS, tweeted that he’s grateful to Bong for “giving courage and pride to our people overcoming difficulties.”
But “Parasite’s” main characters portray South Koreans who have been left behind by the country’s dramatic changes. It’s a biting commentary on deepening inequality and other problems that have many young and poor people describing their lives as a hellish nightmare.
South Korea has one of the largest gaps between rich and poor among developed nations and is struggling mightily to deal with decaying job markets, rocketing house prices and a record-low birth rate as couples put off having babies while struggling with low pay and harsh work conditions.
Although fully Korean in language, humor and tone, Bong’s dark tale of poverty and class struggle resonates across borders because Western democracies are also experiencing similar social and economic problems, albeit not as “extreme” as in South Korea, according to Chin Jung-kwon, a prominent cultural critic.
Also: INCHEON, South Korea:
Director smiled and waved at a waiting crowd on Sunday as he arrived home in South Korea, his first trip back since he won four Oscars for his movie “Parasite”, including the award for Best Picture.
The crowd clapped and cheered as Bong walked out of the arrivals gate at Incheon International Airport.
“It’s been a long journey in the and I’m pleased that it got wrapped up nicely,” Bong said, speaking in Korean. “Now, I am happy that I can quietly return to creating, which is my main occupation.”
He also joked that he would wash his hands to join the movement to defeat a new virus that has sickened tens of thousands, mostly in