With the Avengers in Seoul, netizens make funny parodies

Posted on : 2014-03-21 16:49 KST Modified on : 2014-03-21 16:49 KST
Online images put Marvel superheroes in settings that draw on the idiosyncrasies of Korean culture
 played by Robert Downey
played by Robert Downey

By Lee Jae-hoon, staff reporter

Following the selection of Seoul as the setting for scenes in Hollywood production Avengers 2, South Korean netizens are taking pleasure in creating and sharing altered images that parody the film.

One netizen produced a realistic image of Ironman - one of the main characters in the film, played by Robert Downey, Jr. - flying over the Cheonggye Stream in downtown Seoul. Below the photo are subtitles that read, “Yes! I know kimchi.”

The image pokes fun at the tendency of some South Korean reporters interviewing notable foreign figures to ask them questions that have little relevance, such as whether they have heard of kimchi, footballer Park Ji-sung, or pop singer Psy and his viral hit “Gangnam Style.”

 Jr. - flying over the Cheonggye Stream in downtown Seoul.
Jr. - flying over the Cheonggye Stream in downtown Seoul.

Kimbap Heaven - a cheap Korean eatery found all over Seoul - also featured prominently in the parodies. One netizen superimposed an image of Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) shooting an arrow and Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) shooting a gun atop a picture with the sign for Kimbap Heaven. Another netizen earned some laughter by posting an image in which the main characters of the movie are sitting tiredly inside a Kimbap Heaven.

Left
Left

Other parodies drew upon South Korea’s protest culture. One netizen made an image showing a police officer in full riot gear holding up a shield to block a blow from the hammer of Thor (Chris Hemsworth). Another posted a picture of the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) and Thor facing off against old men carrying a burning flag. In a tweet, this jokester said, “Rumor has it that the bad guys in Avengers 2 are the Korea Parent Federation lol.”

Another netizen uploaded a picture of Ironman lying on the ground in front of the Yongsan Electronics Market. “Ironman got ripped off at Yongsan,” the netizen said. “He got tricked about a computer part and he totally lost it.”

 characters shooting outside a “Kimbap Heaven” eatery in Seoul. Right
characters shooting outside a “Kimbap Heaven” eatery in Seoul. Right

Producers from Marvel Studios will be shooting in South Korea from Mar. 30 to Apr. 14. Filming locations include a number of places in Seoul - Mapo Bridge, the Floating Islands, North World Cup Street in Digital Media City in the Sangam neighborhood, Cheongdam Bridge, and a section of Gangnam’s main street - along with the area around Kaywon School of Art and Design in Uiwang, Gyeonggi Province.

 

Please direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]

 

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