He was the catalyst for a new revival of Korean cinema when Korean cinema was at a decline in the 1970s. He majored in film directing at UCLA and returned to Korea in 1972 to make his directorial debut with the symbolist film, The Pollen of Flowers (Hwabun). He only made 7 movies before his untimely death. He criticized Korean movies and created a new visual aesthetic through experimentation, struggling to truthfully portray the society of the era. His The March of Fools (Babodeul-ui haengjin) (