Bong Joon Ho

Bong Joon-ho (Korean: 봉준호; born September 14, 1969) is a renowned South Korean director known for his unique storytelling that often intertwines social and class issues with elements of dark comedy and genre blending. His cinematic journey began with his debut film, the black comedy Barking Dogs Never Bite (2000), which garnered him a cult following. He later achieved widespread acclaim with a series of successful films, including the crime thriller Memories of Murder (2003) and the monster movie The Host (2006). Bong's first English-language film, Snowpiercer (2013), showcased his ability to merge complex narratives with thrilling action, while his masterpiece Parasite (2019) became a cultural phenomenon, ranking as the highest-grossing South Korean film ever.

While all of Bong's films are rooted in South Korea, he has collaborated on Hollywood co-productions such as Snowpiercer, Okja (2017), and Mickey 17 (2025). His work has been recognized at prestigious festivals, with Parasite winning the Palme d'Or at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival—the first for a South Korean film. The film also made history at the Academy Awards, where it won three Oscars, including Best Picture, making it the first non-English language film to achieve this honor. In 2017, Bong was named one of the 25 best film directors of the 21st century by Metacritic, and in 2020, he was included in Time's list of the 100 Most Influential People and Bloomberg's 50.