연합뉴스
| yna@yna.co.kr 2025-06-26 15:28:55
By Shim Sun-ah
SEOUL, June 26 (Yonhap) -- Ki-jun (Lee Jae-jun), a sixth-grade elementary school student, relocates with his mother (Ko Seo-hee) from bustling Seoul to a quiet rural town in the southern region of Korea one summer.
Their move is driven by a controversial strategy some urban parents employ -- residing in small rural or fishing villages for six years to qualify for a special college admissions benefit, a way to sidestep the intense competition for top universities.
Reluctantly torn from his familiar life in Seoul, Ki-jun resents being thrust into a town where he knows no one. His frustration deepens when their planned apartment move-in is delayed due to local protests, with residents demanding greater compensation for redevelopment. As a result, he and his mother are forced into a cramped, hastily arranged one-room unit.
On his first day at his new school, Ki-jun's prized Adidas sneakers go missing. The prime suspects are two brothers from a notoriously troubled household in the neighborhood. Despite strong suspicions, Ki-jun's mother chooses not to press the issue, reasoning that it's not worth stirring up a conflict over a pair of shoes.
Initially, Ki-jun finds his classmate Young-jun (Choi Woo-rok) -- a boy who doesn't study, lies and steals -- irritating and not relatable. Yet over time, an unexpected bond forms. The relationship deepens after Young-jun's older brother, Young-moon (Choi Hyun-jin), avenges Ki-jun after he is beaten up by an older boy.
Ki-jun begins to spend time with the brothers, eventually participating in petty theft, extortion and even bicycle stealing.
Having escaped the suffocating routine of endless private academies in Seoul, Ki-jun discovers the intoxicating thrill of rebellion. He starts to resist his mother's control, with academics falling far down his list of priorities.
"When This Summer is Over" is a quietly powerful film that delicately captures the distinct world of children -- a world often misunderstood by adults.
For Ki-jun, who is just entering puberty and starting to develop his own thoughts but still fully reliant on his mother, Young-moon is a cool figure he wants to emulate. Young-moon is reticent but self-sufficient, holding power among the neighborhood kids. The two brothers -- Young-moon and Young-jun -- also like Ki-jun, who accepts them as friends without prejudice despite their differing social class.
While the children navigate one another's worlds with raw honesty -- sometimes abrasive but ultimately openhearted -- the adults remain closed off.
Ki-jun's mother, though seemingly resilient in her pursuit of elite education for her son, compromises her values by joining local protests she inwardly opposes. She mouths concern for the two brothers but reveals her inner prejudice when she snaps at Ki-jun: "Do you think you're like those kids?" -- a line that stings with implication.
Directed by Jang Byung-ki, a rising talent in the Korean independent film scene, this feature debut is stunningly assured. It's hard to believe it's his first feature, given his exceptional skill in meticulously capturing the complex psychology between characters.
There's no dramatic score or flashy sequences, yet the film solely relies on the powerful performances of its young cast and the strength of its storytelling to engross the audience.
As the credits roll, the hum of the two brothers' motorcycle -- uninterrupted by music -- lingers hauntingly, like an echo of a summer no one will forget.
The film is set to be released July 9.
[ⓒ K-VIBE. 무단전재-재배포 금지]