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Ki-taek (Song Kang-ho), the patriarch of the Kim family, is introduced as a weary, underemployed man worn down by years of failure and disappointment. Living with his family in a cramped, semi-basement apartment, he drifts through life with little urgency or expectation. Though he clearly loves his wife and children, his days are shaped more by resignation than hope. He scrapes by with odd jobs, including folding pizza boxes for pocket money, and even welcomes the toxic fumigation fumes into their apartment as a way to get “free extermination.” These small, desperate workarounds reflect the quiet indignities that define his everyday existence.  

When Ki-woo is hired by the wealthy Park family and opens the door for the rest of the Kims to follow, Ki-taek gains a renewed sense of purpose. He steps out of passivity and into an active role in the family’s scheme, taking over as the Parks’ new driver after his children orchestrate the dismissal of the previous one. In his new position, Ki-taek presents himself as a clean-cut, dependable chauffeur. His mild manner and quiet disposition make him well-suited to service work, and he adapts easily to the Parks’ routines and expectations. 

But beneath the surface, Ki-taek begins to feel the strain. The Parks, especially Mr. Park, treat him with a polite detachment that only thinly veils a deeper condescension. Mr. Park repeatedly reminds him not to “cross the line” and act overly familiar with any of the Parks, emphasizing the rigid social boundaries between the two families. Ki-taek plays along, but the sense of being tolerated rather than respected wears on him. The most humiliating slight comes when Mr. Park remarks on Ki-taek’s “smell,” likening it to an old radish or the subway. The comment stings, and for Ki-taek, it seems to prove that no matter how well he plays his role, he cannot fully mask where he comes from.  

As the Kim family settles into their double life, they discover that the Parks’ former housekeeper, Moon-gwang, has been secretly hiding her husband, Geun-sae, in a hidden basement beneath the house. Ki-taek sees Geun-sae as a mirror of his own fears: he is crushed by poverty and has survived by becoming literally invisible. Though Ki-taek helps subdue the couple to protect his family’s ruse, the image of Geun-sae unsettles Ki-taek at a profound level. It’s a glimpse of a future he cannot articulate but can’t stop imagining: one in which his only place in the world is beneath it. 

Spoilers below! 

Ki-taek’s frustration finally reaches a boiling point during the garden party, a cheerful celebration thrown by the Parks just days after a flood destroys the Kims’ home. Ki-taek watches, becoming increasingly agitated, as the wealthy guests enjoy themselves. When Geun-sae escapes from the bunker and attacks the partygoers—ultimately stabbing and killing Ki-jung—chaos erupts. In the midst of it, Ki-taek watches Mr. Park recoil from Geun-sae’s body, hesitating to retrieve his car keys because of the man’s smell. That moment—Mr. Park’s clear disgust, his lack of concern for Ki-jung’s injury, and the way he looks down on people like Ki-taek—pushes Ki-taek past his breaking point. After a lifetime of small humiliations and quiet indignities, something in him snaps. Without a word, he stabs Mr. Park and flees. 

At the start of the film, Ki-taek is flexible, even-tempered, and willing to set aside his pride for the sake of his family. But the longer he’s exposed to the quiet insults and dismissiveness of the wealthy, the more he begins to unravel. His final act of violence isn’t driven by ambition or greed, but by the heavy toll of being ignored and treated as if he doesn’t matter. After the murder, Ki-taek vanishes. Though the authorities search for him, he evades capture by hiding in the secret basement once occupied by Geun-sae. From below, he sends Morse code messages through the house’s flickering lights, hoping Ki-woo will see them and understand where he’s gone. By the end of Parasite, Ki-taek has not only replaced Geun-sae in the physical bunker—he has virtually become him.  

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