Ki-Taek

Living… in a smelly semi-basement located in the slums of Seoul, South Korea. He lives with his wife and two children, Ki-Woo and Ki-Jung. Although he’s supposed to be the caretaker of the family, he is the one in most need of care himself.

Profession… former restaurant owner. In the good ol’ days, Ki-Taek owned a chicken shack, then a Taiwanese castella cake shop. But after the cake shop went bankrupt, Ki-Taek was forced to take on the whatever part-time job was available, including valet parking. Despite his best intentions and dedication to his restaurants, things just haven’t worked out for him.

Relationship Status… in a miserable marriage with Chung-Sook. He’s constantly being scolded by his brawny wife. 

Challenge… pulling off a scam. Fooling Dong-Ik and Yeon-Kyo (Mr. and Mrs. Park) into replacing their original house employees with Ki-Taek’s family members is his plan to become wealthy. So far, the scheme has not been challenging to carry out, since Ki-Taek knows, “Rich people are more naïve.” First his son Ki-Woo, then his daughter Ki-Jung, himself, and finally his wife Chung-Sook all successfully secure employment at the Park family mansion, unaware of what consequence their scheme could bring. His experience as a valet parker has helped him secure his newest position as the family chauffeur for a wealthy family living in a state-of-the-art mansion. 

Personality… oddly optimistic and easygoing but lacking in confidence. Ki-Taek will usually go with the flow, occasionally adding unexpected humor to tense situations. However, do not let his friendliness put you off guard. His violent side can emerge with the least of a warning.