The success of Bong Joon Ho's Parasite film has brought honor to South Korea's film industry but it has also highlighted the plight of thousands of Korean families, who like the main characters of the movie, are living in substandard conditions in semi-basement apartments.
In response to the growing concerns about these poverty-stricken families, the South Korean government is reportedly eyeing the provision of subsidies for some 1,500 families living in semi-basement apartments, Indiewire reported.
Based on the report of The Korea Herald, The South Korean government will offer 3.2 million won per household to help the families upgrade heating systems, make home repairs, install air conditioners, purchase dehumidifiers, install windows and fire alarms for ventilation and safety.
The project will be undertaken by the South Korean government with the support of the Korea Energy Foundation and the Soul Metropolitan Government.
Records indicated that 78 percent of households occupying semi-basement apartments are those who belong to the bottom 30 percent of the income bracket.
To qualify for the program, households who earn less than 60 percent of the country's median income may submit applications to the government for screening. While the initial number of families to be included is only 1,500, the program is expected to expand and increase the number of beneficiaries per year. As of 2015, there are a total of 383,000 semi-basement apartments recorded in South Korea.
The semi-basement lifestyle became a hot topic in the film circles since the central family in the movie Parasite lived in a semi-basement apartment and took odd jobs to survive. The poverty-stricken family portrayed by Song Kang Ho, Choi Woo Shik, Park So Dam, and Jang Hye Jin were forced to survive in deplorable living conditions, desperate to try anything, to get out of their plight.
"Compared to North Korea, South Korea is better off in terms of economic power. Despite the general welfare that society has accumulated, we still have poverty among classes. Because the society is a lot more blended, they feel relatively more inferior - and that sort of polarisation is something that applies to every country," Bong Joon Ho earlier said about his film's message.
He added that showcasing the side of South Korea that shows poverty is intended to highlight another facet of the country away from the glamor of Kpop and busy shopping districts.
The film won countless accolades globally including 4 awards at the recently concluded 2020 Oscars.
