He is a director who has broadly directed works ranging from melo and human dramas to socially critical genre pieces. Regardless of the subject matter, he illuminates both the inner world of the characters and the surrounding structures, leaving viewers with both emotions and food for thought.
He has directed a wide array of works of different tones, from warm human and melo dramas like 'Dear My Friends' (2016) and 'Live Up To Your Name' (2017) to 'Life' (2018) and 'Her Private Life' (2019). His consistent attitude is to not lose affection for his characters, even while not restricting himself to any particular genre.
With Netflix's 'Juvenile Justice' (2022), he calmly yet sharply depicted the loopholes in the juvenile justice system and the people struggling within it, solidifying his position as a director of socially critical dramas. It was a work where his perspective shone, focusing on examining the structure of the problem rather than sensationally consuming provocative subject matter.
In Chamgyoyuk, he works with writer Lee Nam-gyu to balance the satisfying thrill of punishment with a social message. It is a work where his directorial philosophy, which seeks to avoid exploiting sensitive issues even while tackling the delicate topic of the collapse of teaching authority, is once again put to the test. This marks a reunion with Kim Mu-yeol, who plays the protagonist Na Hwa-jin, following 'Juvenile Justice'.
The main cast of Chamgyoyuk are Kim Mu-yeol, Lee Sung-min, and Jin Ki-joo, and the screenplay can be found on Lee Nam-gyu's page. More works continue in Drama.