Art Museum by the Zoo


Art Museum by the Zoo is a 1998 South Korean film written and directed by Lee Jeong-hyang.

Plot

On leave from the military, Cheol-soo arrives at his girlfriend's apartment only to find it occupied by another woman, Choon-hee. After a few days he finds out that his girlfriend is now engaged to someone else, and having nowhere else to go he ends up staying with Choon-hee. At first the two struggle to get along, but before long Chul-soo discovers that she is writing a screenplay to enter into a competition, and they end up working on a story together based on their own experiences of love, titling it "Art Museum by the Zoo."

Cast

Reception

Art Museum by the Zoo was released in South Korea on December 19, 1998, drawing a then-impressive 412,472 viewers in Seoul alone, making it the fifth best-selling Korean film of 1998.
In 1999, Shim Eun-ha won Best Actress at the Grand Bell Awards, and Lee Sung-jae swept Best New Actor awards at the Baeksang Arts Awards, the Chunsa Film Art Awards, the Grand Bell Awards and the Blue Dragon Film Awards.
Director Lee Jeong-hyang was praised for her sophisticated and detailed direction, and the film is now considered a classic of 1990s Korean cinema.
In 2025, the film was selected by South Korean film director and screenwriter Yoon Ga-eun for the section 'Our Little History, Please Take Care of Our Future!' at the 30th Busan International Film Festival, recognized as a work that had a profound influence on her creative journey.