Happy End is the debut work of director Jung Ji-woo, who won acclaim with an earlier short film titled A Bit Bitter (literal translation: “Ginger”). This new work focuses on three characters: a banker who loses his job but finds a sense of fulfillment in his new life at home, taking care of his daughter and reading mysteries in the park; his wife, a successful career woman who manages a language institute; and her ex-boyfriend, with whom she became separated years earlier when he was drafted into the army.

Happy End 해피엔드 (1999) NTSC DVD5 – HK
Audio: Korean DD 2.0, DD 5.1
Subtitle: English, Chinese (Traditional), Chinese (Simplified)

The acting in this movie deserves special mention, with two of Korea’s most talented actors giving virtuoso performances. Following up his popular success in the movie Shiri, Choi Min-shik takes on a hugely difficult role as the husband who discovers his wife’s infidelity. In addition to the emotional range required by the part, it is also clear that the situation faced by the husband carries a symbolic weight in the film. Choi’s haunted, suffering eyes bring forth an tremendous empathy in the viewer. Opposite him, actress Jeon Do-yeon shatters her earlier screen image with a daring, mesmerizing performance that sets her on a level apart from other actresses of her generation.

Happy End pulls no punches in its delivery, straining its viewers’ emotions as well as pushing the limits of the film’s form. In its art and its impact, it is an unforgettable film. –Koreanfilm.org

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0220507/