Bong Joon-ho shows off soccer fandom

Korea Herald

20-05-2025

After sneaking soccer references into 'Mickey 17,' Oscar-winning director set to commentate Europa League final
With "Mickey 17" now having fallen off the marquees, Oscar-winning director Bong Joon-ho is indulging his other passion: soccer commentary.
South Korean YouTube channel Dalsoo Live announced Monday that Bong will join their broadcast team for Thursday's Europa League Final between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United. Joining him in the booth will be comedian-turned-actor Kim Shin-young of "Decision to Leave" fame, a fellow soccer superfan added at Bong's personal request.
This isn't Bong's first foray into soccer talk. Back in March, during the promotional circuit for "Mickey 17," he made a surprise appearance on Dalsoo Live where he barely discussed his film and instead discussed the game with impressive expertise.
During the chat, he promised to return as a commentator if Korean star Son Heung-min's Tottenham made the Europa League Final — a bet he likely never expected to cash in, as Tottenham sits at 17th out of 20 teams in the Premier League table, just one spot above relegation.
Bong's soccer obsession might surprise film fans, but fans of the sport know it is nothing new. Bong is known for hijacking film interviews with soccer references. At the London premiere of "Mickey 17" in February, when asked what he would make a clone of himself do, Bong did not miss a beat: "I'd turn him into a soccer player — an attacking midfielder, like Kevin De Bruyne."
The Belgian playmaker and Manchester City legend is Bong's soccer idol, and the director never misses a chance to sing his praises.
"De Bruyne seems to know where players will be three or four seconds into the future," Bong explained on Dalsoo Live. "That's crucial in filmmaking, too, especially with crowd scenes — anticipating movement second by second. He has that intuition."
Even "Mickey 17," a space-set political satire seemingly worlds away from the game, happens to contain soccer Easter eggs. No. 17 in the title matches De Bruyne's jersey number, something Bong practically confirmed on Dalsoo Live, admitting, "I say otherwise in film interviews, though." He also revealed that supporting characters drew inspiration from soccer stars — Steven Yeun's character "Timo" was named after German winger Timo Werner, while security agent "Kai" takes her name from Arsenal's Kai Havertz.
What makes Bong's soccer fixation so interesting is how it dovetails with his cinematic sensibilities. Known for his knack for visual detail (earning him the nickname "Bongtail"), his passion for soccer borders on a lifelong obsession rivaling his commitment to film. During a 2019 radio interview, he said, "Since high school in 1985 — for over 30 years — I've been replaying soccer goal scenes in my head every single day."
What fascinates the celebrated filmmaker most is the camera work, which explains his preference for watching matches on TV rather than live at the stadium. "I'm into the relationship between broadcast cameras and players," Bong explained. "At the stadium, you see everything at once. It's frustrating not being able to focus on just one player. On TV, the same shot looks completely different depending on the camera angle."
"When a player shoots, sometimes the camera zooms out, but when they feint, cameramen must pivot and chase the ball in real time," he added. "Broadcasters edit everything on the fly.
"In film, coordinating movement and camera angles is incredibly difficult. In soccer, they always manage to capture that perfect moment."