In 1962, South Korea. Kang Soo-ha, a 21-year-old teacher from Seoul, takes his first job at a village school in Gangwon Province. One of his older students, 17-year-old Yun Hong-yeon, develops a crush on him, though her efforts to catch his attention seem to go unnoticed. Meanwhile, Soo-ha has fallen for Yang Eun-hee, a fellow teacher at their school.
The film won Best Picture at the 2000 Verona Love Screens Film Festival.
Musical theatre
The film was adapted into a musical Organ in My Memory (also known as Organ in My Heart) in 2008, which focused on reviving the romantic atmosphere and literary sensitivity of the 1960s on stage as the film did. "The original novel was published in 1980s and the film was made in 1990s and now the musical rendition will be made in 2000s, showing the tireless energy of the work because of its pure and touching story," a public relations official of the production company Show Tic Communications, said. The musical featured visually catching pink-toned stage sets to exude a romantic atmosphere, along with modern music and choreography played by 21 actors to curry favor with the modern audience. The initial run at Hoam Arts Hall (July 22 to September 11, 2008) also drew attention from the public for the return of musical theater-turned-TV/film actor Oh Man-seok to the stage.[3]
At the 2008 Korea Musical Awards, it swept Best Original Korean Musical, Best Direction (Cho Gwang-hwa), Best Composition, Best Scenario, Best Stage Design and Best New Actor (Jo Jung-suk - Oh's alternate for the lead role).[4][5]
The musical had a second run on July 16 to August 28, 2011 at Hoam Arts Hall in Sunhwa-dong, central Seoul. Oh Man-seok, the star of the first run, returned this time as the director. Oh cast singer Tim and musical actor Kim Seung-dae to take over the lead role.[6]