I watched the 2019 South Korean film Parasite (기생충), directed by Bong Joon-ho. As an authentic artistic production, the film serves as a modern text that captures the linguistic and social nuances of contemporary Seoul. While the film is a thriller, its true "artifact" value lies in its portrayal of the widening wealth gap in Korea, a concept often referred to by the youth as "Hell Joseon." I am focusing specifically on the recurring motif of "smell" and the specific Korean terminology used to describe social hierarchy.
One of the most striking cultural dimensions in Parasite is the concept of social architecture. The film uses physical space such as the sub-basement (banjiha) versus the hilltop mansion to represent class. My primary interpretive takeaway was how the film treats "smell" as the only thing that class-crossing cannot hide. In a pivotal scene, the wealthy Mr. Park describes the protagonist’s scent as "the smell of people who ride the subway."
This observation is deeply rooted in the Korean urban experience. In Seoul, the subway is a democratic space, yet Mr. Park uses it as a marker of "otherness." This reflects a specific cultural anxiety regarding social mobility. The Kim family is linguistically adept; they can mimic the "Standard Seoul" speech of the educated elite to con their way into jobs. However, the "smell of the banjiha" (a mixture of dampness, old rags, and lack of sunlight) acts as a biological watermark that they cannot erase with a fake diploma.
The film also highlights the importance of honorifics and titles. Even while infiltrating the Park household, the Kim family must navigate the complex web of Korean polite speech (jondetmal). The way the "tutors" address the "Madam" (the wealthy mother) with exaggerated deference masks their true intentions, but it also reinforces the rigid social boundaries that remain in Korean society despite rapid modernization.
The "Scholar's Stone" (suseok) given to the Kim family at the start of the film serves as a traditional artifact within the movie as well. In Korean culture, these stones are meant to bring material wealth. The fact that this "blessing" eventually becomes a weapon used against the family is a biting critique of the "luck" required to move up the social ladder in a hyper-competitive economy.
Watching Parasite through a cultural lens allowed me to understand that the "Korean Dream" is often complicated by historical and structural barriers. The film does not just show poverty; it shows the psychological toll of being "looked down upon." My reaction to the film’s climax was one of profound sadness rather than shock. When the father, Ki-taek, finally snaps, it isn't because of a lack of money, but because of the visceral reaction of disgust Mr. Park has toward his smell. It illustrates that in modern Korea, the ultimate cultural taboo is not just being poor, but "crossing the line" into the space of the elite.
After watching this masterpiece, I’ve gained a better understanding of the term Gapjil (the arrogance of those in power) and how it manifests in subtle, everyday interactions. Parasite is a masterclass in showing that while language can be learned and mimicked, the lived experience of one's environment leaves a permanent mark.
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Despite not having watched this Oscar winning film, I think that this is an excellent review of a key concept from the film. I think the mentioning of the wealth gap in Korea is true and can also be applied to other parts of the world as well. Seeing as though you mentioned other Korean concepts and the nuances of a social heirarchy playing into this made it all the more interesting. The integration of both a "historical and structural" barrier is one that I think the film encapsulates very well simply based on reviews I have read!