Lovely Rivals

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Lovely Rivals

"Lovely Rivals" movie poster
Directed by Jang Gyu-seong
Produced by Kim Mi-hee
Written by Jang Gyu-seong
Starring Yeom Jeong-ah
Lee Se-young
Lee Ji-hun
Music by Jo Young-wook
Cinematography Lee Du-Man
Editing by Go Im-pyo
Distributed by CJ Entertainment
Release date(s) November 17, 2004
(South Korea)
Running time 109 mins.
Language Korean
IMDb profile

Lovely Rivals (Yeoseonsaeng vs. Yeojeja) is a 2004 South Korean comedy film about a harsh teacher and her headstrong 6th-grade student who battle for the affection of the school's handsome new teacher.

The scene in which Yeom Jeong-ah's character is caught on camera slapping her student was based on a similar incident from earlier in the year in which a teacher repeatedly punched a student in the face.[1]

The original Korean title means "Female teacher vs. female student".

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

On the first day of the new elementary school year in Korea, Ms. Yeo Mi-ok (Yeom Jeong-ah) lays down the law to her students. She is strict and demanding. When her new student Go Mi-nam (Lee Se-young) arrives late and calmly takes her seat, Yeo screams and yells but is unable to disturbed her. Assigned bathroom cleaning duty as punishment, Mi-nam beats up the girls who taunt her and forces them to clean instead. At home we see that Mi-nam lives with her mother, who rarely has time for her because of the hours she must work at the food and alcohol stall she owns.

Back at school, the newest male teacher Mr. Sang-min Kwon (Lee Ji-hun) is causing a stir with his handsome good looks, and every female teacher and student is falling for him. Mi-nam tries to apologize and unburden herself to Ms. Yeo, who ignores her while trying to impress Mr. Kwon. Mi-nam decides to compete for him as well, even getting his cellphone number. Mr. Kwon goes to Ms. Yeo for advice on how to deal with the students' affection, not realizing she likes him too. The teacher and the student start a heated rivalry that climaxes when Ms. Yeo slaps Mi-nam in class -- and is recorded doing so on a student's cellphone camera.

She resigns from the school but eventually makes amends with Mi-nam and returns to teach.