Korean movie success

'Parasite' achieves feat at Golden Globes Awards

Director Bong Joonho has expanded the Korean movie industry's horizons. His black comedy “Parasite” was named best foreign language film at the 77th Golden Globe Awards in Los Angeles, Jan. 5, marking the first time a Korean film has been cited in any category in one of the two prestigious awards in Hollywood.

“Parasite” deserves praise. It beat out rivals “The Farewell” by Lulu Wang, “Les Miserables” by Ladj Ly, “Pain and Glory” by Pedro Almodovar, and “Portrait of a Lady on Fire” by Celine Sciamma. The honor has raised the potential for domestic movies, which could become a global success story.

The excellent performance of Bong's film did not come overnight. “Parasite” won the Palme d'Or, the top prize at the 72nd Cannes Film Festival in May 2019. It also won at more than 15 international movie festivals and more than 30 major film awards.

When he accepted the Golden Globe trophy, Bong impressed his global fans by saying, “I think we use only one language: the cinema.”

“Parasite” has touched the hearts of many people around the world. The family satire features the lives of two families ― one rich and one poor ― both involved in the deeply rooted social class system. The film revolves around the themes of social polarization and the wealth gap between the haves and the have-nots, which are global phenomena.

“Parasite” is also raising hopes of yet another achievement in the mecca of filmmaking. The film has been shortlisted for best international feature movie at the Academy Awards. The movie has also been a box office hit at home and abroad. It has sold 10 million tickets in Korea alone and has taken more than $23 million in the U.S. since its release there last October.

Bong has already emerged as an international film master. He proved his cinematographic ability with his 2006 monster hit “The Host” and the 2013 sci-fi movie “Snowpiercer.”

We hope his success will inspire other Korean movie directors, especially young ones, to make quality films that can appeal to moviegoers across the globe. It can also serve as a catalyst for Korean popular culture, including K-pop and K-drama, to take a leap forward.