South Koreans explode with joy over 'Parasite' Oscar wins

South Koreans reacted with rare collective joy Monday after director Bong Joon Ho’s “Parasite” won Oscar for best picture and three or awards, good news that came as ir country struggles to guard against a new virus and counter rth Korea's nuclear threat.

movie’s wins me history in both Hollywood and South Korean film industries. class satire is first n-English-langu film to win best picture in 92-year history of Acemy Awards, and is first South Korean movie to ever win an Oscar.

“Can you believe that ‘parasite’ won Acemy best picture?” South Korea’s biggest newspaper, Chosun Ilbo, said in a heline. “It rewrote Acemy’s 92-year-old history.”

Bong, “Parasite” and or Oscar-related news dominated search terms throughout Monday at major internet portal sites, which h been preoccupied with outbreak of a virus in China that has killed more than 900 people and sickened tens of thousands of ors, mainly in China.

Worries about virus have been growing in South Korea, where 27 cases have been reported, though deaths have occurred. Sales at tour ncies, restaurants, movie aters and department stores have sharply declined, raising worries about impact on South Korea’s alrey-lagging ecomy. Opposition parties are accusing government of ineffectiveness in coping with outbreak.

But concerns about virus and political warfare paused Monday to celebrate Bong’s wins.

“It’s happy news, like welcome rain, to Republic of Korea, which is depressed, stagnant and thrown into despair due to Wuhan pneumonia,” main opposition Liberty Korea Party said in a statement. Wuhan is Chinese city at center of outbreak.

South Korean social media were overwhelmed with congratulatory messs.

President Moon Jae-in tweeted that he is proud of Bong and his staff and “particularly grateful to m for giving cour and pride to our people who are overcoming difficulties.”

Moon and his visers began a regularly scheduled meeting by clapping ir hands to celebrate Bong's wins.

At Bong’s alma mater, Seoul’s Yonsei University, students belonging to a school movie club watched Acemy Award ceremony toger.

“It’s deeply meaningful for Korean movies and this will open path for furr development. It’s such a great hor. I’m speechless,” said Kim Nam-hoon, 21.

Jeong Ho-cheol, a 26-year-old student, praised Bong for pleasing both movie critics and crowds. “His way of dealing with underside of Korean society and problems such as rich-poor gaps and way he expresses those issues are very expressive,” he said.

Park Chan-wook, a prominent South Korean movie director who is regarded as Bong’s main rival at home, joined congratulations.

It is a “huge blessing to work in same industry as a person as talented as Bong and being able to call him a friend,” said Park, who won Grand Prix at 2004 Cannes Film Festival for “Oldboy,” in an interview with Munhwa Ilbo newspaper.