"Wait Just One Year" Bong Joon-ho Overcomes Difficult Times with Wife's Support

Director Bong Joon-ho of the film 'Parasite' was honored with four awards at the 92nd Academy Awards.
/Photo by AP. Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Yeon-ju] Director Bong Joon-ho, who won four awards at the Academy Awards in the United States for the first time in Korean film history with the movie "Parasite," has become a hot topic for mentioning his wife during his acceptance speech.

On the 9th (local time), Director Bong Joon-ho, after receiving the Best Original Screenplay award at the 92nd Academy Awards held at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, California, said in his speech, "Writing a screenplay is actually a lonely and solitary task," adding, "Although I am not writing a screenplay representing the country, this is the first award for Korea."

He continued, "I am always grateful to my wife who gives me a lot of inspiration, and also to the 'Parasite' actors who are here now and deliver their lines wonderfully."

Director Bong also expressed his affection for his wife through a broadcast. He appeared on 'MBC Special' and said that he was able to focus on directing the film thanks to his wife's active support.

At that time, Director Bong said, "We got married in 1995, and it was very difficult until the release of 'Memories of Murder' in 2003."

He added, "It was so tough that my college friends brought me rice," and revealed, "Around 1998, I talked with my wife and asked for help, saying, 'Just give me one year. We have some savings, so we can barely make it through one year.'"

Meanwhile, Director Bong Joon-ho's "Parasite" won four awards at the 92nd Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best International Feature Film.

"Parasite" achieved a historic feat as the first Korean film in 101 years to win at the Academy Awards. Also, it is the first time in 65 years since the 1955 American film "Marty" that a film has won both the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival and the Best Picture at the Academy Awards simultaneously. It is also the first time a foreign-language film has won Best Picture at the Academy Awards.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.