Parasite : What the Oscar win means for Korean Cinema

Social media went into meltdown during the Oscars, and this was just a snippet. Korean pride in this
cinematic masterpiece swept through my Twitter timeline.
And by the time Parasite was named Best Picture - winning its fourth Oscar - the voices across the
country had reached a crescendo of wild congratulatory joy.
Yes, this is historic. Bong Joon-ho's comedy-thriller is the first non-English language film to win Best
Picture. But to South Korea, these awards mean more than that. It is a cultural breakthrough.
For a decade this country has ploughed money into the so-called Korean wave or Hallyu - K-drama, K-
pop and Korean cinema.
The accolades from the Academy are proof that this cultural wave has come crashing down on
Hollywood.
Still, director Bong Joon-ho believes his influence is nowhere near that of K-pop idols BTS.
"I think BTS has 3000 times the power and influence I have. I think Korea produces a lot of great artists
because we are a very emotionally dynamic people," he told reporters outside the Oscars.

Parasite. The film is about class warfare. It is about rich and poor - a universal theme which has made it
possible for this South Korean story to resonate with audiences around the world.
Although, it seems ironic that this social satire about class warfare came about with the help of one of
South Korea's richest companies, but all of these factors combined appear to have created a surprise hit.
"They orchestrated a very clever and effective release strategy, releasing it on a small number of screens
in October before expanding it as strong word-of-mouth pulled more people in.”
But building on this success won't be easy, says film critic Ha Sung-tea.
"I think now the government, the industry, and big conglomerates need to all work together to promote
diverse creators and their unique perspectives."
Regardless, the Oscars are an affirmation that South Korea is a cultural powerhouse - and it now has a
place in the history books.
 Parasite : What the Oscar win means for Korean Cinema

Vocabulary Review
Match the underlined words and phrases from the passage to their meanings

when news or information is
passed on through conversation
_________________
an emphasis of the amount of
money invested into something
_________________
a combination of business entities
operating in entirely different
industries but under one group
__________________
to arrange a situation to produce a
desired effect
____________________
a phrase meaning a viral online
reaction to information or an event
___________________
awards granted as a special honor
or merit
________________

to be able to convey feelings in a a writing technique (in media) to in which people can feel a common
powerful or energetic manner criticize society or cultural norms connection or feeling with a
subject
____________________ _____________________ _________________

a feeling of emotional support or the idea that a (film) can apply to

encouragement in response to anyone – regardless of cultural the highest point of progressive
something differences or geographic location intensity in a situation

__________________ ___________________ ____________________

the struggle and tension for the process of overcoming

a small piece or brief extract political and economic power something and achieving success as
___________________ between social classes a community
________________ __________________

Comprehension Questions
Read the passage and answer the below questions with appropriate grammar.

Q1. How many Oscars were awarded to the film Parasite, and which was the record-breaking
award? _______________________________________________________________
Q2. Why does Parasite being awarded Best Picture make history for Hollywood and Korea?
_____________________________________________________________________
Q3. Why does the passage credit the theme of class warfare as one of the reasons for the
film’s success?
______________________________________________________________________
Q4. What is the other strategy explained by the writer that aided in Parasite’s success?
_____________________________________________________________________