With <i>The Contact</i>, he recorded the first million-selling OST single in Korean film music history. By creating a great stream in Korean cinema, he broke the prejudice that a music director is a composer.

Captivating both audiences and critics with his film Joint Security Area, he become one of the leading directors in the Korean film industry. His other films include Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, Sympathy for Lady Vegeance, and The Handmaiden. He won the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival for Oldboy and the Jury Prize for Thirst.