History Characters / Parasite2019

* MeaningfulName: "Kim" is one of ''the'' most widespread Korean family names, akin to "Smith" in the Anglosphere. They're everymen who'd be more like everymen if they weren't so impoverished to turn to scams to survive; part of the film makes it clear they're pushed to despicable extremes to keep their heads above water (first metaphorically, then literally when a flood hits their basement).

* FrameUp: Ki-jeong plants a pair of her panties in his vehicle. When Mr. Park discovers them, he incorrectly assumes that Yoon is having sex with women in his work vehicle, and promptly fires him.

* NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished: Ki-jeong uses the opportunity to frame him as a sexual deviant who does his dirty business in his employer's car, getting him fired.

* NiceGuy: He appears, from what little is shown of him, to be a friendly enough chap willing to drive Ki-jeong, a complete stranger, home safely without compensation and while off-duty. Unfortunately…

* CatchPhrase: Ki-woo frequently refers to things as "metaphorical". He tends to say it whenever he has no idea what people are talking about, to hide his ignorance.

[[caption-width-right:350:''[[{{Catchphrase}} "RESPECT!"]]'']]

* {{Catchphrase}}: A rare example that's ''consistently'' PlayedForDrama. His boisterous "RESPECT!" is reflective of his SanitySlippage-fuelled obsession with Mr. Park.

* DueToTheDead: [[spoiler:After the Parks sell their house, Ki-taek sneaks out from the bunker one night and buries Moon-gwang's body under a tree in the yard.]]

[[folder:Geun-sae]]

* AntiVillain: He and his wife operate under what's probably the darkest shade of moral gray in the film, but are ultimately deeply sympathetic and tragic characters.

* CrusadingWidower: [[spoiler: He stabs Ki-jeong and unsuccessfully tries also stabbing Chung-sook with a kitchen knife as revenge for Moon-gwang's death]].

* MirrorCharacter: There are parallels between himself and Ki-taek, namely worsening depression after multiple failed businesses along with rising debt. This becomes a major factor in the latter's SanitySlippage and eventual breakdown after [[spoiler:Geun-sae's death]].
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Downplayed. He has this reaction when he realizes he [[spoiler: stabbed Ki-jeong in front of Da-song, but goes after Chung-sook right after]].

* SanitySlippage: Geun-sae was already [[GoMadFromTheIsolation going mad from the isolation]] of living in an underground bunker, but slides right into AxCrazy territory when [[spoiler:Moon-gwang dies and he goes into a rampage.]]
* SecretSquatter: [[spoiler: He has been secretly living in the Parks' basement bunker for four years, hiding from loan sharks.]]

* WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds: [[spoiler:He ultimately kills the mostly sympathetic Ki-jeong, and in front of her parents, no less. He also bludgeons and tries to kill Ki-woo. However, it's impossible not to feel some sympathy with him because he's a totally broken man, motivated only by a desire for revenge on behalf of his now-dead wife who kept him alive.]]

* IdleRich: She's meant to be doing housework, but she's ultimately awful at it (and she has servants), so she mostly spends her time hanging out with other rich wives, drinking, shopping and planning lavish parties.

* GoldDigger: Is implied to have come from a lower-class background as well, which could certainly explain the state of her marriage. Also, she has no interest in doing what a typical {{housewife}} would do such as cooking, cleaning or counseling her children so she hires the Kim family to perform those tasks while she goes out to shop and party.

* RageBreakingPoint: [[spoiler:Seeing Mr. Park deride Geun-se's smell one last time drives him into jamming a knife into Mr. Park's heart.]]

* TrueArtIsIncomprehensible: In-universe. Ki-woo comments with this line while referring to one of Da-song's paintings on the wall.

* FauxAffablyEvil: When she returns midway through the film she initially behaves in a contrite, submissive manner and tries to butter up Chung-sook until [[spoiler:she learns the Kims are scammers, as which point she drops the act]].

* IgnoredAesop: [[spoiler:The letter he writes to his father at the end of the movie about saving up enough money to buy the house shows he hasn't learned anything from the whole ordeal.]]

->'''Played by''': Cho Yeo-jeong

->'''Played by''': Jung Hyun-jun

->'''Played by''': Jung Ji-so

-->'''Played by''': Creator/ParkSeojoon

-->'''Played by''': Lee Jeong-eun

-->'''Played by''': Park Myeong-hoon

-->'''Played by''': Park Keun-rok

->'''Played by''': Creator/SongKangHo

->'''Played by''': Jang Hye-jin

->'''Played by''': Creator/ChoiWooShik

->'''Played by''': Park So-dam

->'''Played by''': Lee Sun-kyun

* BadassBaritone: Has a very deep, commanding voice befitting a stern patriarch. His often feckless behaviour throughout the film undercuts the "badass" part, though.