Lift Your Eyes from Your Book: You’ll See the Green Slopes of Mount Bukhan

“They say that bells ring in your ears when you kiss for the first time.”

The line is spoken by Min-hee (Im Eun-kyung) to Joong-pil (Ryu Seung-bum) in the film “Conduct Zero,” which lovingly portrays the life of high school students during the 1980s.

The place where Joong-pil and Min-hee go on dates under the pretext of studying, and where they kiss for the first time, is the Jeongdok Library in Hwa-dong, Jongro-gu, Seoul.

The library is built on the site of the homes of Kim Ok-gyun and Seo Jae-pil, the key figures in the modernization reform of 1884. In 1938, Gyeonggi Public Middle School was built on the premises (later known as Gyeonggi High School), and when the school relocated to Gangnam in 1976, the Jeongdok Library took its place. Now, the library is a “cultural property” registered with the Cultural Properties Administration, but at the time of its construction, it was a cutting-edge structure built with reinforced concrete and fitted with a steam heating system.

In the film, model student Min-hee takes Mundeok High’s “reigning captain” Joong-pil by the hand and leads him into the library. Joong-pil protests:

“But I already studied a lot at school today! I even did extra curricular activities during seventh period.”

When the pair exits the library, Joong-pil’s face retains the marks of having slept on his books. When Min-hee asks if he wasn’t too tired after studying until such a late hour, he replies, “It’s become a habit, so it’s okay.”

Those were the days when even the most notorious delinquent in school was awkward at dating. Sitting side-by-side on a bench in the library garden, the two are so embarrassed that they hardly know what to do with themselves.

In fact, the gardens of the Jeongdok Library are as beautifully landscaped as most local parks. A fountain stands before the main structure, and in the spacious courtyard are a fairly large pond, a traditional look-out shed, and a water mill.

Seated on the bench, Joong-pil and Min-hee squabble over whether his shirt is a size 95 or 100. Then, swept away by a strange feeling, they manage to kiss. (A small bell sounds the moment their lips meet.)

The bench in question is topped by a roof overgrown with wisteria vines, making it charming and pleasant even in summer. The scene at the library was shot during August; if you visit the library now, the grounds look just as they do in the film.

Continuing the tradition of the 80s, today’s students still go to the library to kill two birds with one stone by combining dating with studying. Of course, attire and expressions of affection have become much more daring.

At the time the kiss scene was shot, Ryu Seung-bum was actually dating Gong Hyo-jin, who played the role of the female school gang member Na-yeong. Even when she didn’t have any scenes lined up for a particular day, she would come to the set and wait for her boyfriend. Ryu Seung-bum would also wander over to Gong in between scenes and exchange affectionate conversation.

Since the kiss scene required multiple perspectives, the long shoot ended up wrapping at 4 a.m.

Couples visiting the Jeongdok Library can leave the library courtyard and take a light walk toward the carpenter’s shop behind the third wing. The area stands on an elevation and commands a great view of the Namsan Tower all the way to Bukhan-san.

Across from the library is the Seoul Art Cinema (formerly the Artsonje Center), and numerous sites of interest, including Gyeongbok Palace, the rear garden of Changdeok Palace (a.k.a. “Secret Garden”), the Bukchon Village of traditional dwellings, and Insa-dong, are also nearby.

The library is a seven-minute walk from the An-guk stop on subway line 3, and there is no entrance fee. The internet homepage is located at http://www.jeongdok.or.kr

Kang-Myoung Chang tesomiom@donga.com