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    “Parasite” director Bong Joon Ho greeted by applause in South Korea

    By SHOOTUpdated:No Comments1470 Views
    South Korean director Bong Joon Ho gestures upon his arrival at the Incheon International Airport in Incheon, South Korea, Sunday, Feb. 16, 2020. South Koreans are reveling in writer-director Bong's dark comic thriller, "Parasite," which won this year's Academy Awards for best film and best international feature. The movie itself, however, doesn't put the country in a particularly positive light. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
    INCHEON, South Korea (AP) --

    Director Bong Joon Ho smiled and waved at a waiting crowd on Sunday as he arrived home in South Korea, his first trip back since he won four Oscars for his movie "Parasite," including the award for Best Picture.

    The crowd clapped and cheered as Bong walked out of the arrivals gate at Incheon International Airport. 

    "It's been a long journey in the United States and I'm pleased that it got wrapped up nicely," Bong said, speaking in Korean. "Now, I am happy that I can quietly return to creating, which is my main occupation."

    He also joked that he would wash his hands to join the movement to defeat a new virus that has sickened tens of thousands, mostly in China. 

    "I'll diligently wash my hands from now on and participate in this movement to defeat coronavirus," he said. As of Sunday, South Korea had 29 confirmed cases of the new virus, which the World Health Organization has named COVID-19, referring to its origin late last year and the coronavirus that causes it. 

    "Parasite" was the first non-English-language film to win Best Picture in the 92-year history of the Academy Awards, and is the first South Korean movie to ever win an Oscar, stunning moviemakers and fans around the world. 

    Bong plans to hold a news conference with the staff and cast of "Parasite" on Wednesday in Seoul. 

    Tags:Bong Joon HoParasite



    Ex-OpenAI engineer who raised legal concerns about the technology he helped build has died

    Saturday, December 21, 2024
    Suchir Balaji poses for a photo in Hawaii in 2018. Balaji was a former OpenAI engineer and whistleblower who died in November 2024. (Balaji Ramamurthy via AP)

    Suchir Balaji, a former OpenAI engineer and whistleblower who helped train the artificial intelligence systems behind ChatGPT and later said he believed those practices violated copyright law, has died, according to his parents and San Francisco officials. He was 26.

    Balaji worked at OpenAI for nearly four years before quitting in August. He was well-regarded by colleagues at the San Francisco company, where a co-founder this week called him one of OpenAI's strongest contributors who was essential to developing some of its products.

    "We are devastated to learn of this incredibly sad news and our hearts go out to Suchir's loved ones during this difficult time," said a statement from OpenAI.

    Balaji was found dead in his San Francisco apartment on Nov. 26 in what police said "appeared to be a suicide. No evidence of foul play was found during the initial investigation." The city's chief medical examiner's office confirmed the manner of death to be suicide.

    His parents Poornima Ramarao and Balaji Ramamurthy said they are still seeking answers, describing their son as a "happy, smart and brave young man" who loved to hike and recently returned from a trip with friends.

    Balaji grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and first arrived at the fledgling AI research lab for a 2018 summer internship while studying computer science at the University of California, Berkeley. He returned a few years later to work at OpenAI, where one of his first projects, called WebGPT, helped pave the way for ChatGPT.

    "Suchir's contributions to this project were essential, and it wouldn't have succeeded without him," said OpenAI co-founder John Schulman in a social media post memorializing Balaji. Schulman, who recruited Balaji to his team, said what... Read More

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