Tourism Boom in Seoul Caused by Film Fans

A bleak representation of fact that reveals deep social divide: Parasite, the South Korean movie by director Bong Joon-ho, has been praised by everyone, from the Academy Awards – becoming the first movie to obtain the two the Oscar for Greatest Worldwide Aspect Film and Greatest Picture – to the general public, who now make trips to Seoul in lookup of the locations.

It is accurate that the key locations ended up created in studios: the two the dwelling in which the rich Park family members lives and the smaller semi-basement condominium (or ‘banjiha’), in which the Kim family members struggles every single day, are fabricated eventualities.

On the other hand, men and women can adhere to their tracks in other authentic locations, from the grocery store exactly where the plot commences at the pizzeria Age (which is actually named ‘Sky Pizza’) by means of the staircase that qualified prospects to the Park dwelling or the tunnel in which the key people acquire shelter in the center of the storm.

The tourism boom right after the movie premiered influenced the opening of a route masking the key locations in Seoul. The nearby vacationer authorities have created a route with mandatory stops in all these locations, together with a map and tips to adhere to in the footsteps of the people that managed to win about critics and audiences.

The amount of visitors has skyrocketed in this kind of a way that even ‘Visit Seul’, the country’s official vacation guidebook, has recommend “not disturbing the residents”.

Woori Mart

The place exactly where the younger Kim Ki-woo (played by Choi Woo-shik) receives the offer for the job as the English tutor of the Park’s daughter, the Woori grocery store, is actually the Doijissal Supermarket, found at 32 Songijeong-ro, Mapo-gu, in Seoul.

It is not challenging at present to see visitors using photos of the front and admiring the institution proven in the movie. Film admirers can also go to the Trickeye Museum Seoul or the Oil Tank Tradition Park, an previous oil depot reworked into a general public space of leisure and lifestyle.

Stairs to the Park Home

The stairs exactly where the younger daughter of the Kim family members purchases fruit to acquire back again to the Park’s is also a authentic place. These stairs are pretty close to the Doijissal grocery store, in a peaceful residential community in the Ki-taek location, exactly where residences of diplomats, artwork galleries and espresso stores can be discovered. Just a handful of miles from the stairs, visitors can uncover the Korea Furnishings Museum, Seosomun Historical Park and Songijeong Sports activities Park.

Jahamun Tunnel Stairs

A rainstorm forces the Park family members to return previously from their tenting trip (and brings about the Kim family members to depart the dwelling in a rush). The director selected the stairs foremost to the Jahamun tunnel for this scene to depict the course division of the neighborhoods the two family members are living in.

There are also other appealing stops in the location, like the Gyeongbokgung Palace, the Seoul Museum of Artwork or the Yun Dong-Ju Literature Museum.

Pizza Age

The well-known pizzeria proven in the movie exists, while its authentic name is ‘Sky Pizza’. It has been in the exact same place for 17 years and operate by the exact same family members. According to ‘Visit Seoul’, it was the pretty owners of the pizzeria who confirmed the actors how to fold pizza bins and, in point, the area now showcases a picture of the proprietor next to director Bong Joon-ho.

Bonus place

Whilst this place is not mentioned in the official tour, it is also doable to go to the shop in which Mrs. Park purchases all sorts of goodies for her son’s birthday celebration, exactly where the final act normally takes area. This place is actually Orga Whole Foods, proven in the movie less than the exact same name, and sells organic and natural and balanced foods.