Bong Joon-hoΒ (Korean:Β λ΄μ€νΈ,Β Korean pronunciation:[poΛΕΒ tΙuΛnhoΒ βΒ poΛΕdΚunΙ¦o]; born September 14, 1969) is a South Korean filmmaker. The recipient of threeΒ Academy Awards,Β his workΒ is characterised by emphasis on social and class themes,Β genre-mixing,Β dark comedy, and sudden tone shifts.
He first became known to audiences and achieved aΒ cult followingΒ with his directorial debut film, the black comedyΒ Barking Dogs Never BiteΒ (2000), before achieving both critical and commercial success with his subsequent films: the crime thrillerΒ Memories of MurderΒ (2003), the monster filmΒ The HostΒ (2006), the science fiction action filmΒ SnowpiercerΒ (2013), which served as Bong's English language debut, and the acclaimed black comedy thrillerΒ ParasiteΒ (2019), all of which are among theΒ highest-grossing films in South Korea, withΒ ParasiteΒ also being the highest-grossing South Korean film in history.
All of Bong's films have been South Korean productions. However,Β Snowpiercer,Β OkjaΒ (2017) and Mickey 17Β (2025) areΒ Hollywood co-productions with significant use of the English language. Two of his films have been screened in competitions at theΒ Cannes Film Festival β OkjaΒ inΒ 2017Β andΒ ParasiteΒ inΒ 2019; the latter earned theΒ Palme d'Or, the first for a South Korean film.Β Considered an immediate favourite by theΒ Academy Awards,Β ParasiteΒ became the first South Korean film to receive Academy Award nominations, with Bong winningΒ Best Picture,Β Best Director, andΒ Best Original Screenplay, makingΒ ParasiteΒ the first film in the award's history not in English to win Best Picture.Β In 2017, Bong was included onΒ Metacritic's list of the 25 best film directors of the 21st century.Β In 2020, Bong was included inΒ Time's annual list ofΒ 100 Most Influential PeopleΒ andΒ BloombergΒ 50.
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