In 2000, director Bong Joon-ho cast Doona in the film "Barking Dogs Never Bite" for her willingness to do the part without makeup, something other South Korean actresses refused to do. She later cited this part as the role that pushed her to pursue a serious acting career, saying, "That film made me decide to become an actress –- a good actress –- and that film thereby changed my whole life." In Kim So-young's documentary "Women's History Trilogy (2000–2004)", she expressed her admiration for veteran South Korean actress Yoon Jeong-hee. In the same documentary, Bae said her own most memorable scene was being chased by the homeless man throughout the apartment in "Barking Dogs Never Bite". That same year, she gave a risque performance (albeit with a body double for the more intense scenes) in "Plum Blossom", and started getting more work on television.