By winning best picture in addition to three other Oscars at the 2019 Academy Awards, “Parasite” not only made its mark in the movie industry but in South Korean history as well.

Following the film’s major success as the first foreign-language film to win best picture, Korean students at Diamond Bar High School were thrilled at the idea of a South Korean film winning such an award.

“I believe that Parasite winning best picture is genuinely a historic moment,” Senior Hana Cho said. “Not only was it the first Asian film to win, but it represented not only the Korean people, but all of Asia. It just comes to prove how far we’ve come through portraying stories and real life issues through films and art.”

It brought out feelings of pride for many students of Korean background at DBHS.

“Finding out that Parasite won best picture and being the first foreign film in history to do so was incredible and I felt very proud to be Korean,” Senior Annika Lee said.

Despite all this, Cho and Senior Nicole Han believe that recognition for South Korean movies as a whole is well overdue.

“South Korean movies, unlike American movies, portray a lot more emotion and tackle issues that are related to many topics that many people refuse to talk about,” Cho said. “Although every movie industry has their highs and lows, I believe that South Korean directors not only engage their audiences through interesting story lines, but also through the deep meaning the moral of the movie conveys.”

“Parasite” follows the relationship between the wealthy Park family and poverty-stricken Kim Family. Under the theme of differences between economic classes, the Kim family slowly plants themselves under the work of the Park family, kicking out previous workers as they do so.

As a result of critically acclaimed movies like “Parasite” and “Train To Busan,” the Korean students believe that more is yet to come from South Korean studios.

“Parasite brings out the diversity in talent that South Korea has in relation to multimedia/film,” Han said. “I think South Korean movies are very underrated and not necessarily talked about enough.”