South Korean president Moon Jae-in invited Oscars-winning Director Bong Joon-ho and the cast of “Parasite” to a luncheon at the Blue House.
This was a gesture to congratulate Bong, alongside lead actors and crew, for bagging four Oscars at this year’s Academy Awards.
“I’m pretty shocked to see the President speaking next to me,” Bong says.
The journey for Parasite had been quite a long one, and the director is definitely relieved that they are able to end this journey with President Moon and the First Lady of South Korea.
Moon humorously noted that his wife specifically requested for some “Jjapaguri” (ram-don) to be served during the luncheon. In addition to the dishes prepared by the professional chefs.
For those who don’t know, the “Jjapaguri” dish is a common snack in South Korea, which scored a feature in the film.
“Food to Koreans, is not just food [per se], it has a deeper meaning: it’s closer to the Korean sentiment,” says lead actor Song Kang-ho.
Albeit only for a short duration, native Koreans resonated with the food feature. International audiences were also introduced to Korean culture.
“I believe that Parasite has once again proven to the world that South Korean’s culture is not only outstanding in one field, but is exceptional in various fields,” Moon says.
He had also previously commended the seven-piece boy group, BTS, for making South Korean music, K-pop, a global phenomenon.
