"Parasites" version of reality: The dwellers of South Korea's basements
As the Oscar-winning film described, many Seoul residents live in small, neglected basement apartments due to the cost of living in the city, which is considered one of the most expensive in Asia. 29-year-old Kim De Hee, who lives in one, was asked if the movie was good at describing her condition and replied: "It didn't feel like someone else's story"
"Parasites" version of reality: The dwellers of South Korea's basements
Courtesy © AMPAS® / yes and STINGTVKim De Hee, a 29-year-old South Korean, said moving to a half-basement apartment was her least favorite option when she was looking for a new place to live. However, after careful searching and careful examination of her financial situation, she had to settle for "benghiha" - the Korean word for a dense basement apartment.
"Parasites," an Oscar-winning film by South Korean director Bong Jun-ho, raised worldwide consciousness for Benji residents, thanks to the portrayal of two families - one living in a basement apartment and the other in a ventilated estate, as well as social class differences.
According to statistics, in 2015, about 1.9% of South Korean residents lived in basement apartments. It is a lucrative choice for the people of Seoul, one of the most expensive cities in Asia.
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South Korean resident with mobile thought in South Korea's basement, February 15, 2020. (Photo: AP)
The apartments, which are often crowded and neglected, cost between $ 210 and $ 500 a month, in addition to a high guarantee. Kim, who moved to a $ 210 Benjiha apartment after leaving her job to care for her mother, doesn't like her current residence, which was flooded during the rainy season.
"During one summer, I left the apartment leaving an open window," she said. "When I returned, there was water everywhere and the walls were wet. There was mildew on the walls and my laundry stank." Before moving there, she expressed concern about the bathroom amenities, located high above the floor of the apartment to prevent flooding. "My bathroom has stairs just like this apartment," she said, referring to the Oscar-winning movie, which described how a flood destroyed the room and filled it with sludge.
"I could slide down the stairs," she said, pointing to the two steep stairs leading to a square bathroom. She joked that she couldn't go to the bathroom when she was drunk.
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To the full article"It's easy to see from the outside what's going on inside, and vice versa." Kim De Hee in her apartment (Photo: AP)
South Korea resident in basement February 15, 2020. (Photo: AP)
Since the apartment is underground, it is difficult for sunlight to penetrate it, causing the walls to develop mold. "It's easy to see from the outside what's going on inside, and vice versa," she said, adding that her window is sometimes filled with soot cars and motorcycles off the street.
She said she has mixed feelings about the film, despite the fact that she shares her last name - de hey - with the affluent family members. "At the beginning of the movie, when the picture of a drunk pissing in the street flashed, I didn't think it was funny," she said. "I felt bitterness because there were moments (in the movie) that I could completely identify with. I had mixed feelings because it didn't feel like someone else's story."
She said, "I thought it was very similar to reality. (The father in the film) wanted to climb higher, but eventually found himself lower than he was before. This is similar to how I feel about my future."
