Born in Geoje, Gyeongsangnamdo in 1979. He graduated from the Department of Theater and Film at Chung-Ang University. He directed the short film 'The Proof of a Man' in 2004, which won the Grand Prize at the Mise-en-scène Short Film Festival. His feature debut film was The Unforgiven (2005). The Spy Gone North (2017) was screened at Cannes Film Festival Midnight Screenings.