MIFF Interview: 'Art is labour' - Jung Jae-il on the job of composing for Parasite

'Art is labour'. This is a statement from composer Jung Jae-il, the man behind the iconic scores to Bong Joon-ho's Parasite, Okja, and Mickey 17, the Netflix smash hit Squid Game, and Hirokazu Kore-eda's Broker, amongst other works. For Jung Jae-il, the art of composing a score is work.

For Jung Jae-il, artists like Roxette, Metallica and Björk are notable influences on his work, with Pina Bausch's dancing leaving a lingering mark on his mind. It's these kinds of artists who influenced Jung Jae-il on his solo album, Listen, released in 2023.

For Jung Jae-il, there is a clear delineation between art for the self and art for a job, and it's with his work on Parasite that the distinction is felt, while his passion for his album Listen shows an artist in harmony with his craft.

These are just some of the things discussed in the above interview with Jung Jae-il, recorded ahead of his performance of the live score for Parasite at the 2025 Melbourne International Film Festival.

Jung Jae-il participates in a conversation with Caitlin Yeo on 23 August at MIFF, with the composer performing a live score for Parasite on 23 August over two sessions at MIFF. Tickets are available here.

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