Bong Joon-ho: "When COVID-19 Disappears, Cinema Will Return"

Encouragement Message to the Shrinking Film Industry: "Confident COVID-19 Will Soon Recede"
On the Hwaseong Serial Murders' Factual Truth: "Felt Strange When I Saw Lee Chun-jae's Face"
"Endured the Pain of Writing the Script by Looking at the Names of Those I Worked With"

Director Bong Joon-ho, who won four Oscars for the film 'Parasite,' is returning to Korea through Terminal 2 of Incheon International Airport on the 16th. / Yeongjongdo - Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

"Many say we cannot return to the world we knew before, but that is an exaggeration. COVID-19 will disappear, and movies will come back." This is the outlook of director Bong Joon-ho, who rose to global prominence with the film Parasite. Although there are analyses suggesting the global film market may remain stagnant next year, he has not let go of hope.

On the 27th (local time), in a video interview with the Spanish daily El Mundo, Director Bong expressed, "I am confident that COVID-19 will soon take a step back." This prediction is closer to a heartfelt wish than an analysis based on concrete facts. Most filmmakers have suffered unprecedented despair and hardship this year. Bong himself said, "Sometimes I am surprised at how optimistic I can be."

According to the report "COVID-19 Shock: 2020 Korean Film Industry Final Assessment" released by the Korean Film Council on the 14th, the estimated revenue of the domestic film industry this year is 913.2 billion won. This is 63.3% less than last year's record high of 2.5093 trillion won. Since the spread of COVID-19, almost every sector has experienced damage. Having observed this closely, Director Bong sent encouragement not to lose hope.

He also mentioned the Hwaseong serial murder case, which was the backdrop for his breakthrough film Memories of Murder (2003). The factual truth was revealed only after 34 years. Lee Chun-jae, who was serving a sentence, confessed to committing fourteen murders and nine sexual crimes from 1986 to 1991 in Hwaseong County (now Hwaseong City), Suwon City, and Cheongju City in Chungbuk Province. The police confirmed all murder charges and proved the nine sexual crimes as well.

Director Bong Joon-ho, who won four Oscars for the film "Parasite," is returning to Korea through Incheon International Airport Terminal 2 on the 16th. / Yeongjongdo = Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

Director Bong said, "It was very strange when I saw his face in the newspaper." He added, "While making the film about the murder case, I met everyone involved?the detectives, reporters, and victims' families?but the one person I most wanted to ask questions to, the perpetrator, was the only one I could not interview. I think that’s why I had those thoughts." In an interview with the LA Times last October, he revealed, "I felt a unique emotion, and it took time to process it."

After winning four Academy Awards in the United States for Parasite?Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best International Feature Film?Director Bong is now focusing on writing screenplays. He said, "When I write late into the night, my back starts to hurt, and when that pain doesn’t go away, I feel fear," but added, "When I watch movies at home, especially the ending credits showing the names of everyone I worked with, I feel at ease."

Regarding the ambiguous world of film where comedy and tragedy coexist, he said, "I am shy and indecisive by nature. It’s not easy to choose what to do or how to do it, and I think this permanent dilemma I have is reflected in my films."

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