About

Known credits:
83
Birthday:
1969-09-14
Place of birth:
Daegu, South Korea
Website:
N/A

Bong Joon-ho

Overview

Bong Joon-ho (Korean: 봉준호), born September 14, 1969, is a South Korean film director, producer and screenwriter. His films are characterised by emphasis on social themes, genre-mixing, black humor, and sudden tone shifts.

He first became known to audiences and achieved a cult following with his directorial debut film, the black comedy Barking Dogs Never Bite (2000), before achieving both critical and commercial success with his subsequent films: the crime thriller Memories of Murder (2003), the monster film The Host (2006), the science fiction action film Snowpiercer (2013), and the Academy Award-winning black comedy social thriller Parasite (2019), all of which are among the highest-grossing films in South Korea, with Parasite also being the highest-grossing South Korean film in history.

All of Bong's films have been South Korean productions, although both Snowpiercer and Okja (2017) are mostly in the English language. Two of his films have screened in competition at the Cannes Film Festival—Okja in 2017 and Parasite in 2019; the latter earned the Palme d'Or, which was a first for a South Korean film. Parasite also became the first South Korean film to receive Academy Award nominations, with Bong winning Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay, making Parasite the first film not in English to win Best Picture. In 2017, Bong was included on Metacritic's list of the 25 best film directors of the 21st century. In 2020, Bong was included in Time's annual list of 100 Most Influential People and Bloomberg 50.

Known for

Acting
2023 Yellow Door: '90s Lo-fi Film Club Actor Self 59
Average
2022 Kultur-King Korea Actor N/A
N/A
2021 보는 것을 사랑한다 Actor N/A
N/A
2020 Making Parasite Actor Self N/A
N/A
2020 봉준호, 장르가 되다 Actor N/A
N/A
2018 Memories Actor Self N/A
N/A
2017 The Clouzot Scandal Actor Self 59
Average
2015 Searching for Bong Actor Himself 59
Average
2014 Understanding Movies Actor Himself N/A
N/A
2014 Snowpiercer: Transperceneige, From the Blank Page to the Black Screen Actor Self 59
Average
2013 Where is my DVD? Actor Self 59
Average
2012 Ari Ari the Korean Cinema Actor Himself 59
Average
2012 Tony Rayns, the Not-So-Distant Observer Actor Himself N/A
N/A
2012 Doomsday Book Actor Lee Joon-ho 59
Average
2012 A Brave New World Actor Lee Joon-ho N/A
N/A
2011 Kurosawa's Way Actor Self 58
Average
2010 Mother, Son and Murder: The Making of Mother Actor Himself 59
Average
2009 Can I Borrow a Light? Actor Guitar Man N/A
N/A
2008 Crush and Blush Actor English teacher 59
Average
2008 40 x 15: The Forty Years of the Directors' Fortnight Actor Self N/A
N/A
2007 Two Or Three Things I Know About Kim Ki-young Actor Himself N/A
N/A
2005 Making Memories of Murder Actor Himself N/A
N/A
2002 No Blood No Tears Actor Officer (cameo) 58
Average
1994 Incoherence Actor Paperboy's Brother 59
Average

Directing
2025 Mickey 17 Directing Director N/A
N/A
2019 Parasite Directing Director 84
Very good
2017 Okja Directing Director 72
Good
2013 Snowpiercer Directing Director 68
Fair
2011 3.11 A Sense of Home Directing Director 59
Average
2009 Mother Directing Director 72
Good
2008 Tokyo! Directing Director 62
Fair
2006 The Host Directing Director 68
Fair
2004 Jeonju Digital Project 2004 Directing Director 59
Average
2004 Influenza Directing Director 59
Average
2004 Sink & Rise Directing Director 59
Average
2003 Lonely Street Lamp Directing Director N/A
N/A
2003 Memories of Murder Directing Director 78
Good
2000 Barking Dogs Never Bite Directing Director 61
Fair
1997 Motel Cactus Directing Assistant Director 59
Average
1994 White Man Directing Director 58
Average
1994 The Memories in My Frame Directing Director 59
Average
1994 Incoherence Directing Director 59
Average
1992 Looking For Paradise Directing Director 59
Average
Untitled Bong Joon-ho Animated Film Directing Director N/A
N/A

Writing
2025 Mickey 17 Writing Writer N/A
N/A
2019 Parasite Writing Story 84
Very good
2019 Parasite Writing Screenplay 84
Very good
2017 Okja Writing Screenplay 72
Good
2017 Okja Writing Story 72
Good
2014 Sea Fog Writing Writer 61
Fair
2013 Snowpiercer Writing Screenplay 68
Fair
2013 Snowpiercer Writing Screenstory 68
Fair
2009 Mother Writing Screenplay 72
Good
2008 Tokyo! Writing Writer 62
Fair
2006 The Host Writing Screenplay 68
Fair
2005 Antarctic Journal Writing Writer 59
Average
2004 Jeonju Digital Project 2004 Writing Writer 59
Average
2004 Influenza Writing Writer 59
Average
2004 Sink & Rise Writing Writer 59
Average
2003 Lonely Street Lamp Writing Writer N/A
N/A
2003 Memories of Murder Writing Writer 78
Good
2000 Barking Dogs Never Bite Writing Screenplay 61
Fair
1999 Phantom: The Submarine Writing Writer 58
Average
1997 Motel Cactus Writing Writer 59
Average
1996 7 Reasons Why Beer Is Better Than a Lover Writing Adaptation 58
Average
1994 White Man Writing Writer 58
Average
1994 The Memories in My Frame Writing Writer 59
Average
1994 Incoherence Writing Writer 59
Average
1992 Looking For Paradise Writing Writer 59
Average
Untitled Bong Joon-ho Animated Film Writing Screenplay N/A
N/A
The Host 2 Writing Characters N/A
N/A

Production
2025 Mickey 17 Production Producer N/A
N/A
2020 Snowpiercer Production Executive Producer 73
Good
2019 Parasite Production Producer 84
Very good
2017 Okja Production Producer 72
Good
2014 Sea Fog Production Producer 61
Fair
Untitled Lee Isaac Chung Project Production Producer N/A
N/A
Parasite Production Executive Producer N/A
N/A

Camera
1994 2001 Imagine Camera Director of Photography 59
Average

Editing
1994 Incoherence Editing Editor 59
Average
1992 Looking For Paradise Editing Editor 59
Average

Lighting
1994 The Love of a Grape Seed Lighting Lighting Technician N/A
N/A
Sounds from Heaven and Earth Lighting Lighting Technician N/A
N/A