Parasite: The Spaces of Inequality
Bong Joon-ho's Parasite (2019) won the Palme d'Or at Cannes and four Academy Awards, including Best Picture. The film masterfully uses physical space to illustrate class divide.
The vertical movement from semi-basement to hilltop mansion and back underground is the film's defining visual metaphor. Every set, staircase, and window was chosen to reinforce the gap between the wealthy Park family above and the struggling Kim family below.
Behind the Scenes
The Park family mansion was not a real building — it was an elaborate set designed by production designer Lee Ha-jun. The team spent months constructing the house, its garden, and even the street in front of it at Goyang Aqua Studio in Gyeonggi-do. Water drainage systems were built into the set to accommodate the climactic flood sequence, which required careful choreography and multiple takes to capture.
In contrast, the Kim family's neighborhood and the iconic stairs were filmed at real locations across Seoul, particularly in the Jahamun area near Gyeongbokgung Palace. Since the film's release, these steep stairs have become one of Seoul's most-visited filming spots, drawing fans from around the world.
Visiting the Filming Locations
The Jahamun stairs are freely accessible year-round. The best time to visit is late afternoon, when the light closely matches the mood of the rain-soaked nighttime scenes in the film. From the top of the stairs you can look out over the surrounding rooftops of Jongno-gu, a neighborhood that still retains much of its old-Seoul character.
For the Woori Supermarket location in Mapo-gu, note that the original storefront has changed since filming, but the surrounding streetscape remains recognizable. Combining both locations into a single half-day walking and subway tour is a practical way to experience the real geography of the film firsthand.
