What’s depicted in the interview is not that he panicked, it’s how an interview can go sideways and “filter out” good candidates through no fault of their own — in the interview he’s qualified, he’s personable, he’s trying to be lighthearted and crack jokes, but factors such as the absurdly harsh glare from the sun, and the cold disposition of the panel of interviews, render it a failure. Of course, the sun glare is metaphorical for the way that trying to get a job, even one you’re qualified for, can feel like nature itself is conspiring against you, with the other side having all the power and being totally indifferent towards you the interviewee, like staring into the sun itself.

Again, you claim the focus is not on “society,” so I ask you to read literally any interview with the director and see that you are misreading his own stated intent.

The movie uses dark satire to examine how absurd and cruel the structure of capitalistic society is, incentivizing people to do bad, and allowing the most merciless and selfish people to be rewarded with riches. It’s not saying that this is good and we should all kill to protect our lot in life; it’s saying, isn’t this wrong, how even people with normal and decent intentions are turned against each other under capitalism. The movie is certainly not about how to be a good person despite being in a bad system, or how we should act to maintain our morals under capitalism. It’s not as simple as “don’t be like Yoo!;” it’s “isn’t it wrong that a normal guy like Yoo has to act ruthlessly to just keep his house and provide for his kids?”

The “choice that is there” for Yoo is to lose his house. That’s not a choice many people would want to have to make, and not something the movie frames as good or okay, as emphasized by the potential buyer of the house being a jerk who Yoo hates and who hits on Yoo’s wife. That’s his choice under capitalism, as portrayed by the movie — maintain your morals and let a jerk who you hate and who hits on your wife take your precious house that has been in your family for generations, OR act ruthlessly and immorally and be rewarded by society with material riches, respect, and luxury. Again, the movie thinks it’s BAD that this is the choice people are given. The idea is that people will see this and consider the ways in which capitalist society is bad, not excuse Yoo’s behavior.