AllMovie

The South Korean education system serves as a microcosm for society in this incisive comedy drama from filmmaker Jang Gyu-seong. A corrupt teacher who accepts bribes from parents and punishes his students when mom and dad fail to line his pockets, Kim Bong-du (Cha Seung-won) is exiled to a remote farming village when his commonplace scheme is revealed to all by a scorned parental unit. Kim Bong-du's class now consists of only two boys and three girls, and when he tries to revive his profitable scam, the only things he is offered are kind words and vegetables. Drowning from boredom in his remote schoolhouse, Kim Bong-du sees a chance for escape when he hears that his school is to be shut down and his students transferred to another district. Filling the young ones' minds with dreams of the bright lights of Seoul and the endless possibilities that await them in the city, Kim Bong-du is surprised to learn that he has actually developed a conscience when the day comes for him and his students to part ways.