My Boss, My Hero (2001 Film)

My Boss, My Hero (Korean: 두사부일체; RR: Doosabooilchae) is a 2001 South Korean action-comedy film directed by Yoon Je-kyun. The film explores the premise of a high-ranking gang member who is forced to return to high school to complete his education.

Promotional poster for the film My Boss, My Hero — Promotional poster for the 2001 film My Boss, My Hero.

Plot

The story centers on Gye Do-shik, a young gang leader who struggles with intellectual shortcomings that hinder his ability to perform his duties effectively. To address this, his superiors mandate that he return to high school to earn his diploma. While posing as a 19-year-old student, Do-shik discovers that the school environment is fraught with corruption and violence. Eventually, he abandons his facade as an innocent student and intervenes to address the school's systemic issues.

Production

The film was directed by Yoon Je-kyun, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Ha Won-joon. It was released in South Korea on December 14, 2001, with a runtime of 98 minutes. The film was distributed by CJ Entertainment.

Cast

Jung Joon-ho as Gye Do-shik
Jung Woong-in as Kim Sang-do
Jeong Woon-taek as Dae Ka-ri
Oh Seung-eun as Lee Yun-ju
Park Jun-gyu as Jo Dong-pal
Song Seon-mi as the English teacher

Legacy and Related Works

The success of My Boss, My Hero led to the development of a film series and a Japanese television adaptation. The direct sequel, My Boss, My Teacher, was released in 2005. Additionally, a Japanese television drama series titled My Boss, My Hero was produced by NTV in 2006.