Bong Joon-ho

Bong Joon-ho (봉준호), born September 14, 1969, in Daegu, is the most internationally celebrated South Korean filmmaker of his generation. He made Oscar history when Parasite became the first non-English language film to win Best Picture at the 92nd Academy Awards, also taking home Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best International Feature Film.

After studying sociology at Yonsei University, Bong developed his craft at the Korean Academy of Film Arts. His feature debut Barking Dogs Never Bite (2000) earned festival attention, but Memories of Murder (2003), based on Korea's first serial murder case, established him as a major talent, selling over 5 million tickets domestically.

The Host (2006) set a new Korean box office record with 13 million admissions, blending monster movie spectacle with biting social commentary. His English-language debut Snowpiercer (2013), starring Song Kang-ho and Chris Evans, expanded his global audience.

The critical and commercial triumph of Parasite (2019) marked Korean cinema's arrival on the world stage. The film won the Palme d'Or at Cannes and grossed over $250 million worldwide.

Mickey 17 (2025), his first feature since Parasite, starred Robert Pattinson as an expendable space colonist on an ice planet. The Warner Bros. sci-fi epic opened to $19.1 million domestically and $6.67 million in Korea alone (the biggest Korean box office opening of 2025), reaching $53 million globally.

His films are defined by sharp social commentary, genre-blending, dark humor, and sudden tonal shifts. Time named him one of the 100 most influential people of 2020.