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South Korean director Bong Joon-ho and Kim Hye-ja, who played the lead role in Bong’s film “Mother.” (provided by J Entertainment)

“While working on ‘Parasite,’ I was amazed by Bong Joon-ho’s consummate ability as a director. What was most amazing was that we always had our meals right on time,” said actor Song Kang-ho during an official press conference at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2019.

Song praised not only Bong’s famous attention to detail in his films, but also his thoughtfulness, which extends to the meal schedule of his cast and crew. The spotlight is shining on Bong’s leadership, which enabled the director to make history by winning four Oscars with “Parasite.”

Bong is renowned for his attention to courtesy. He’s described as treating everyone with modesty and respect, without losing his good humor and cheerfulness. “Whenever I see him, he’s polite and makes others comfortable. Even after he won some big prizes and got famous, that hasn’t changed,” said Kim Hyeong-seok, a critic who’s known Bong for nearly 20 years.

“You might think [his success] would incite envy, but everyone in the film industry who knows his personality are sincere in their congratulations,” Kim added.

Bong on the set of his film “The Host.” (provided by Showbox)

Bong cherishes his connections with others. Before his debut, he had a chance to write a screenplay for Cineworld, under director Lee Joon-ik, which is how he got his foot in the door of Korean cinema. One person he met around that time was Jung Seung-hye, CEO of Achim (Morning) Pictures. According to a famous anecdote, Bong was in Cannes when Jung died of cancer in 2009; as soon as he landed at Incheon Airport, he headed straight for Jung’s wake, dragging his suitcase behind him.

Kim Jong-ae, film marketer and CEO of Planet, worked with Bong on his film “Mother” in 2009. “It’s pretty rare for a director to give much thought to the marketing team, but the people on my team are still in touch with Bong and see him from time to time,” Kim related.

Bong’s personal storyboard for “Snowpiercer”

This attitude toward other people has a direct impact on his work. Bong’s attentiveness to even casual acquaintances helped him forge his bond with Song, the actor, who is today regarded as Bong’s muse. When Song was still a nobody, he auditioned unsuccessfully for a film on which Bong was the assistant director. Afterward, Bong left a message on Song’s beeper, mentioning his hope that they’d work together someday, a message that left a big impression on Song. Bong was devastated by the flop of his debut film, “Barking Dogs Never Bite,” but Song — by this time a top-billed star — gladly agreed to appear in Bong’s second film, “Memories of Murder.” Since then, Song and Bong have become a celebrated duo thanks to their powerful collaborations in a number of films.

Bong’s personal storyboard for “Okja”

Bong chats freely with all his staff. He meticulously expresses the situations he envisions through text and images on storyboards which he then shares with the cast and crew. He regards that as the only way to eliminate unnecessary confusion and ensure that the scenes are highly polished.

When Kim Hyeong-seok, the critic, was still a reporter, he visited the set of “Memories of Murder” for a story he was writing. “He wasn’t trying to throw his weight around just because he was some fancy-pants director. My impression was that, through communicating his ideas quietly but clearly, he was getting the most out of his staff.”

“On set, he’s able to call the youngest members of the crew by name. Even while providing concrete and detailed instructions, he respects the crew as being experts in their respective fields,” Kim Jong-ae said.

Bong also knows how to maximize the final quality of his films by giving actors free rein. While shooting “Memories of Murder,” Bong deliberately left blank the decisive lines at the film’s climax. He figured it would be best for the actors — given their in-depth understanding of the characters — to come up with those lines themselves. Song’s suggestion ended up being the line that defined the movie: “How do you get up in the morning?” (The literal meaning of the line in Korean is “You still taking your meals?”)

Song explained Bong’s approach as follows: “He’s more interested in listening to others than pushing his own ideas. Through sharing opinions, he eventually gets what he wants.” Courtesy, consideration, and communication — those are the aspects of leadership that ultimately made possible the miracle of “Parasite.”

By Suh Jung-min, music correspondent

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