The film has become a major box office success in South Korea, grossing ₩91.5 billion (US$81.6 million) on a production budget of ₩6.5 billion (US$5.8 million) and surpassing 10 million ticket sales in just 15 days.[2][6]
After failing their latest mission, a group of young narcoticsdetectives led by squad chief Go are offered one last chance to save their career. They should carry out an undercover surveillance of an international drug gang. Their stakeout location is a chicken restaurant. Things seem to work, but Go is informed that the restaurant will soon go out of business. Go and his colleagues decide to purchase the restaurant, still planning to use it for their undercover operation. However, a rib marinade they have to improvise for a sticky chicken recipe becomes an instant hit, and their chicken restaurant becomes famous for its food.[8][9][10]
A determined but poorly performing cop. He is a dedicated worker who invests his retirement fund into the fried chicken business. Nicknamed the Zombie as he has survived 12 stab wounds.
The team's not-always-efficient problem solver. Nicknamed Jang-Bak (from Ong Bak) due to having been a kickboxing (Muay Thai) champion previously. She has a love/hate relationship with Ma.
A financially unreliable cop with gambling tendencies. The key figure behind the success of the fried chicken restaurant. He uses his parents' rib marinade recipe for exquisite taste. He is a showboater and an overconfident cop. He was a member of the South Korean judo team in the past and has a love/hate relationship with Detective Jang.
The team's determined goal-setter and the most serious member of the team. He was rumored to have been an ex-military and a member of the elite UD team with kills under his belt.
The enthusiastic, youngest team member and cheerleader. He is extremely gullible and childish. He has extraordinary resilience to blows due to being a high school baseball star and enduring brickbats for years.
By the second day since the release the film, it topped the box office by selling 720,000 tickets.[16]
On January 25, 2019, just after three days after release, Extreme Job surpassed 1 million viewers. It set a record of exceeding 1 million views in the shortest period of time for a January comedy film in Korea. It has also tied to the 2016 film Luck Key as the fastest comedy film to reach 1 million views.[17]
Soon after, on January 26, 2019, the film reached a total of 2 million moviegoers and broke the record for the fastest comedy film to hit the 2 million mark in just four days. The previous record holders Miracle in Cell No. 7 and Miss Granny took six days to achieve that.[18]
The film continued becoming a box office hit as it reached the 3.1 million mark in five days at a faster rate than previous films that reached 10 million moviegoers such as Veteran and The Thieves which took six days to achieve the 3 million milestones.[19] The film also broke the January daily ticket sales record previously held by Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds with 916,652 admissions on January 1, 2018.[20]
Topping the local box office for nine straight days since its January 23 release, the film surpassed 5 million admissions on February 1, way beyond its 2.3 million tickets break-even point.[2]
After two weeks after its initial release on February 6, the film finally reached a grand domestic total of 10 million admissions, making it the 23rd film to pass the 10 million mark. It also becomes the second comedy film in six years to reach 10 million moviegoers after Miracle in Cell No. 7.[21][22]
On February 10, just in 19 days, Extreme Job became the highest-grossing Korean comedy film of all time by reaching 12,835,396 moviegoers setting a new record. The previous record was held by Miracle in Cell No. 7 which drew a total of 12,811,206 moviegoers during its run.[23]
Extreme Job and Chinese film Lobster Cop (龍蝦刑警, released in June 2018) were developed in the same project called the 'Korean-Chinese story co-development project' that was a cooperation between Chinese and Korean companies, with the same script localized differently in their respective countries.[45]
In April 2019, it was reported that a Hollywood remake was being worked on, starring Kevin Hart.[46]
^Noh Gyu-min (July 4, 2019). "'제24회 춘사영화제' 18일 개최... '기생충' 7개 부문 노미네이트" ['The 24th Chunsa Film Festival' held on the 18th... 'Parasite' was nominated in 7 categories] (in Korean). Ten Asia. Retrieved June 4, 2022 – via Naver.
^Jeon Hyo-jin (July 19, 2019). "[종합] 주지훈·조여정, 춘사 남·여우주연상…'기생충' 4관왕" [[General] Ju Ji-hoon and Jo Yeo-jeong, Chunsa Best Actor Award... 'Parasite' wins 4 crowns] (in Korean). sports.donga.com. Retrieved June 4, 2022 – via Naver.
^"[종합]제39회 황금촬영상 '증인', 정우성 대상 포함 3관왕…'공작' 작품상" [[Comprehensive] 39th Golden Cinematography Awards 'Witness' wins 3 awards including Jung Woo-sung... 'The Peacock' Best Picture] (in Korean). Herald Pop. July 25, 2019. Retrieved June 4, 2022 – via Naver.
^"'2019 충북국제무예액션영화제' 무예액션 어워드 4개 부문 수장자 발표" ['2019 Chungbuk International Martial Arts & Action Film Festival' announced the winners of 4 categories of Martial Arts Action Awards] (in Korean). Seoul Economy. August 23, 2019. Retrieved June 4, 2022 – via Naver.
^"'암수살인' 김태균 감독, 최우수감독상 수상 "스승 임권택 감사"[부일영화상]" ['Mystery Murder' Director Kim Tae-gyun wins Best Director Award "Thanks to his teacher Im Kwon-taek" [Buil Film Awards]] (in Korean). Newsen. October 4, 2019. Retrieved June 4, 2022 – via Naver.
^"'남우조연상' 박명훈 "'기생충' 충격과 공포, 기적을 선물해줬다"[부일영화상]" ['Best Supporting Actor' Park Myung-hoon "'Parasite' presented shock, horror and miracles" [Buil Film Awards]] (in Korean). Newsen. October 4, 2019. Retrieved June 4, 2022 – via Naver.
^""먼지 같을 때 기회 줬다" 성유빈 전여빈 남녀신인상 '눈물'[부일영화상]" [“I gave you a chance when it was dusty” Sung Yu-bin Jeon Yeo-bin Best New Actor Award 'Tears' [Buil Film Awards]] (in Korean). Newsen. October 4, 2019. Retrieved June 4, 2022 – via Naver.
^Jo Young-mi (October 4, 2019). "[2019 부일영화상] '한국영화 틀 깼다' 각본상 경합 치열… 분야 넓힌 미술·기술상" [[2019 Buil Film Awards] Competition for Best Screenplay for 'Breaking the Frame of Korean Film'... Art and Technology Award] (in Korean). Busan Ilbo. Retrieved June 4, 2022 – via Naver.
^Kim Nara (November 13, 2019). "'극한직업' 진선규, 男조연상 "초심 잃지 않겠다" [2019 영평상]" ['Extreme Job' Jin Seon-gyu, Best Supporting Actor "I will not lose my original mind" [2019 Youngpyeong Award]] (in Korean). My Daily. Retrieved June 4, 2022 – via Naver.
^Sports Chosun (November 21, 2019). "[제40회 청룡영화상] 박형식·이광수·이하늬·임윤아, 인기스타상 수상" [[40th Blue Dragon Film Awards] Park Hyung-sik, Lee Kwang-soo, Lee Ha-nui, Im Yoon-a, Popular Star Award] (in Korean). Yoon-seon Jo. Retrieved June 4, 2022 – via Naver.
^Han Se-hwa (December 11, 2019). "한국영화배우협회, 11일 '제8회 대한민국 베스트 스타상 시상식' 개최" [Korea Film Actors Association, held 'The 8th Korea Best Star Awards Ceremony' on the 11th] (in Korean). Joongdo Ilbo. Retrieved June 4, 2022.
^Kang Min-kyung (December 12, 2019). "'기생충'→'벌새'..제19회 디렉터스컷 어워즈 영광의 주인공은?" ['Parasite' → 'Hummingbird'.. Who is the hero of the 19th Director's Cut Awards?] (in Korean). Star News. Retrieved June 4, 2022 – via Naver.
^"'벌새' 한국영화제작가협회상 작품상 영예..봉준호 감독상(공식입장)" ['Hummingbird' Korean Film Writers Association Award for Best Picture... Director Bong Joon-ho Award (official position)] (in Korean). Newsen. December 5, 2019. Retrieved June 4, 2022 – via Naver.
^Ha, Soo-jung (January 17, 2020). 제56회 대종상 영화제 2월 25일 개최..'기생충' 11개 부문 최다 후보 [공식] [The 56th Daejongsang Film Festival was held on February 25th.. Most candidates in 11 categories of ‘Parasite’ [Official]]. The Chosun Ilbo (in Korean). Retrieved June 9, 2020.
