Barking Dogs Never Bite 2001

In this poignant slice of life, Ko Yun-ju (unemployed academic) and his expectant wife Eun-sil (not specified) navigate the complexities of their relationship amidst the backdrop of a sprawling apartment complex. Yun-ju’s struggles to secure a university professorship are mirrored in his tumultuous bond with Eun-sil, while he also grapples with the cacophony of sounds emanating from one neighbor’s dog - or so he thinks. In reality, the source of the din is an elderly resident’s Min Pin, which Yun-ju discovers after a fruitless search for the misbehaving Shih Tzu that has taken up residence in his own apartment.

Park Hyun-nam (lazy bookkeeper and custodian) harbors ambitions to achieve fame akin to a TV bank teller who thwarted a robbery, inspiring her friend Yoon Jang-mi’s admiration. Enter a young girl seeking help to find her missing Shih Tzu, which has gone awry after undergoing a throat operation that rendered it mute. Yun-ju, still oblivious to the true source of the noise, takes the dog into his basement lair and locks it away in a cabinet.

As the narrative unfolds, Yun-ju becomes increasingly entangled in the web of deceit and chaos. One fateful night, he sneaks down to the basement to release the Shih Tzu from its confines but is thwarted by an unsuspecting janitor who retrieves the lifeless canine with sinister intent - preparing to consume it. The next day, Yun-ju seizes the Min Pin as retribution and tosses it off the roof, only to be pursued by Hyun-nam, who is determined to capitalize on her good Samaritan instincts and gain fame.

In a shocking turn of events, Hyun-nam’s pursuit of justice leads her straight into an opening door, knocking her unconscious. As she recovers in the hospital after being informed of the old woman’s Min Pin’s demise by Hyun-nam herself, Yun-ju escapes unscathed. The janitor, now burdened with guilt over his culinary faux pas, hastily buries the Min Pin and later digs up its remains to create a stew - only for it to be pilfered by a resourceful homeless individual living in the basement.

In this intricate tapestry of human error and misadventure, the lines between right and wrong are blurred as characters struggle to reconcile their own identities with the unpredictable nature of reality.

As Yun-ju’s desperation to secure a professorial position reaches a fever pitch, his wife Eun-sil returns home with an unexpected surprise - a Toy Poodle she’s named Baby (Soon-Ja). But her affections are decidedly canine-centered, leaving Yun-ju feeling more like a loyal servant than a loving husband. The tension between them simmers just below the surface as Yun-ju becomes increasingly distracted, ultimately losing track of Baby in the park. Eun-sil’s scolding only serves to further ignite his frustration, and in a moment of explosive candor, he accuses her of wastefulness, little knowing that she’d spent a portion of her severance pay on the dog with the intention of using the rest to help him achieve his academic ambitions. The revelation leaves Yun-ju stunned, but ultimately he throws himself into finding Baby, distributing flyers throughout the neighborhood and seeking the assistance of Hyun-nam. Despite their best efforts, however, it seems as though the little pup has vanished into thin air.

Meanwhile, Hyun-nam is dealing with her own professional struggles, having been reprimanded by her boss for a perceived lack of focus on the job. But little does she know that a life-altering event is just around the corner. As she’s attempting to collect some long-overdue payment from the deceased owner of a rooftop radish patch, she’s shocked to discover Baby herself, now the unlikely companion of a homeless man who’s developed a rather…unusual appetite. Hyun-nam’s rescue of the dog sets off a chain reaction of events that culminates in the capture of the would-be canine cannibal and the safe return of Baby to Yun-ju.

As Hyun-nam reflects on her recent experiences, she finds herself troubled by the absence of any mention of her heroic actions on the evening news. Her sense of purpose and identity shaken, she’s forced to confront the harsh realities of a world that often seems indifferent to the struggles of others. It’s in this vulnerable state that she encounters Yun-ju, now a professor but seemingly unfulfilled by his new role. Their paths diverge once more as Hyun-nam embarks on a long-awaited hiking adventure with Jang-mi, leaving behind the trials and tribulations of the past to forge a new path forward.