"Parasite" director Bong Joon-ho (right) and actor Song Kang-ho on Feb. 23 attend a news conference at the Japan National Press Club in Tokyo. (Yonhap News)

By Lee Kyoung Mi and Lee Hana

This year's Oscar king "Parasite" is a mega-hit at the Japanese box office.

The film's Japanese distributor on Feb. 23 said "Parasite" has topped the charts since its release in Japan on Jan. 10. An estimated 2.3 million moviegoers there have seen the film, with ticket sales exceeding JPY 3.2 billion, a record for a Korean film in Japan.

"Parasite" director Bong Joon-ho and actor Song Kang-ho on Feb. 23 held a news conference in Tokyo at the Japan National Press Club, with over 200 reporters attending. Some had to sit on the floor due to the high attendance.

"I'm thankful to Japanese audiences for their huge support, and happy that audiences around the world including countries like France, Germany, the U.S., Japan and Korea have been so enthusiastic about the movie," said Bong.

Reminiscing about the 2000s, when many Korean films were introduced in Japan, Song said that "despite our proximity, the number of exchanges has dwindled."

"Just as people in both of our countries were able to relate to 'Parasite,' I hope that our interest in and support for each other will grow again and even bigger than before," he added.

During a screening at a Tokyo theater on the following day attended by over 500 people, Bong told the crowd, "It's very meaningful to meet all of you after earning over JPY 3 billion with this film."

Song said, "It's thanks to the power of movies that we can relate to one another despite speaking different languages. I thank you all for showing me the strength of this power."

Attending the screening was Kusanagi Tsuyoshi, a pro-Korea celebrity, who delivered flowers and congratulatory remarks.

km137426@korea.kr