South Korean Film Director Jeong Jin Woo Dies at 88

South Korean film director Jeong Jin Woo, who made movies including "Does the Cuckoo Cry at Night" and "The Mugunghwa Flower Has Bloomed," died on Saturday, the film industry and his family said. He was 88.

Jeong died at about 8:00 p.m. at a nursing hospital in Seoul’s Gangnam district, they said Sunday.

He had been hospitalized after a fall while walking his dog about two months ago and later contracted COVID-19, and he did not recover, they said. Shortly before his death, longtime friend director Im Kwon Taek and Lee Woo Seok, chairman of Dong-A Export Co., visited the hospital to say goodbye.

Born in 1938, Jeong debuted at age 24 with the 1962 film "Only Son," starring Choi Mu Ryong and Kim Ji Mi. He went on to direct films including "Betrayal" (1963), starring Shin Seong Il and Eom Aeng Ran, and helped lead South Korean cinema’s resurgence from the 1960s through the 1980s.

In the 1980s, he drew critical and popular attention with films rooted in local themes. "Does the Cuckoo Cry at Night" (1980) won nine awards at the 19th Daejong Film Awards, including best actress, best actor and cinematography. "A Parrot Cried in Its Body" (1981) won six awards at the 20th Daejong Film Awards.

Jeong also gained international recognition. "Long Live the Island Frog" (1972) was selected for the main competition at the Berlin International Film Festival, and "Janyeomok" (1984) was invited for a special screening at the 42nd Venice International Film Festival. That year, he was also named one of the "world’s 10 greatest directors" at the Venice festival.

He directed 54 films through his 1995 movie "The Mugunghwa Flower Has Bloomed" and produced 135 films through his own company, Woojin Film.

Jeong also worked as a film administrator focused on welfare and industry development. He helped found the Korean Film Directors Association in 1967, established the Film Welfare Foundation in 1984 and served as chairman of the Korean Film Association in 1985. In 1989, he founded the multiplex Cine House, helping drive changes in theater culture. In 1993, he received France’s Order of Arts and Letters for his contributions.

Survivors include his wife, a son and two daughters. A funeral altar will be set up at the mortuary of Samsung Medical Center in Seoul’s Gangnam district.