FILM2.0's Top 37 Korean Films (2002)
by mymovieslists | created - 16 Sep 2011 | updated - 10 Jan 2012 | PublicList source
In a 2002 survey, FILM2.0 magazine asked 74 critics to vote for the greatest Korean films. #1 Obaltan received 28 votes. All of these films received at least 2 votes. At the list source you can see an extended list and the top directors.
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1. Aimless Bullet (1961)
Not Rated | 110 min | Drama
A pressured accountant, his war veteran brother and their dysfunctional family struggle with integrating into post-War Korean society.
Director: Yu Hyun-mok | Stars: Mu-ryong Choi, Jin Kyu Kim, Jeong-suk Moon, Ae-ja Seo
Votes: 786
2. The Housemaid (1960)
Not Rated | 109 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A composer and his wife are thrown into turmoil when a housemaid becomes more than they bargained for.
Director: Kim Ki-young | Stars: Jin Kyu Kim, Jeung-nyeo Ju, Eun-shim Lee, Aeng-ran Eom
Votes: 5,695
3. Mandala (1981)
117 min | Drama
A story that follows the lives and interactions of two Buddhist monks living in South Korea.
Director: Im Kwon-taek | Stars: Ahn Sung-ki, Jeon Moo-song, Michelle Okkyung Lee, Bang Eun-hee
Votes: 392
4. Peppermint Candy (1999)
Not Rated | 129 min | Drama
Following a man's suicide, time traverses back to reveal six chapters of his life on why he committed suicide.
Director: Lee Chang-dong | Stars: Sol Kyung-gu, Kim Yeo-jin, Moon So-ri, Se-beom Park
Votes: 10,814
5. The Day a Pig Fell Into the Well (1996)
115 min | Drama, Romance
About desires and lives of four characters in diverse circumstances. A poor novelist, a cheating wife, a mysophobic husband and a ticket girl.
Director: Hong Sang-soo | Stars: Park Choong-seon, Kim Eui-sung, Jo Eun Sook, Bang Eun-hee
Votes: 1,171
6. A Short Love Affair (1990)
114 min | Romance
Situated in the small poverty stricken town of Woomukbaemi, South Korea, this film centers on a clothes factory manager and the triangular relationship between himself, his insatiably jealous and violent wife, and one of his employees.
Director: Jang Sun-woo | Stars: Park Joong-hoon, Seo Kap-sook, Dae-kun Lee, Choi Myeong-gil
Votes: 123
7. Christmas in August (1998)
Not Rated | 97 min | Drama, Romance
Hahn Suk-Kyu suffers from a fatal disease. He meets Shim Eun-Ha and falls in love with her. Will their love story have a tragic ending?
Director: Hur Jin-ho | Stars: Han Suk-kyu, Shim Eun-ha, Shin Goo, Oh Ji-hye
Votes: 3,916
8. A Fine, Windy Day (1980)
113 min | Drama, Romance
This is a film about the coming of age of three men.
Director: Lee Jang-ho | Stars: Ahn Sung-ki, Seong-chan Kim, Yeong-ho Lee, Ji-in Yu
Votes: 80
9. Sopyonje (1993)
112 min | Drama, Music
Despite its falling popularity, a father teaches his two children the Korean musical tradition of Pansori (one singer accompanied by one drummer).
Director: Im Kwon-taek | Stars: Kim Myung-gon, Jung-hae Oh, Kim Kyu-chul, Sae-kil Shin
Votes: 1,115
10. Oasis (2002)
133 min | Drama, Romance
An irresponsible and childish ex-con befriends a girl with cerebral palsy and develops a progressively stronger bond with her.
Director: Lee Chang-dong | Stars: Sol Kyung-gu, Moon So-ri, Ahn Nae-sang, Ryu Seung-wan
Votes: 10,392
11. Nowhere to Hide (1999)
R | 112 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Detective Woo is on the trail of the mysterious gangster Sungmin, a master of disguise who always manages to elude his pursuers. Eventually, the cop tracks down and confronts the master-criminal in the suburbs of a coal-mining town.
Director: Lee Myung-se | Stars: Park Joong-hoon, Ahn Sung-ki, Jang Dong-Gun, Choi Ji-woo
Votes: 2,218 | Gross: $0.02M
12. Painted Fire (2002)
Unrated | 120 min | Biography, Drama, History
In a time of political and social unrest in nineteenth-century Korea, an uncouth, self-taught painter explores his natural talent amidst the repressive world around him.
Director: Im Kwon-taek | Stars: Choi Min-sik, Ahn Sung-ki, Yoo Ho-jeong, Kim Yeo-jin
Votes: 2,825 | Gross: $0.06M
13. Road to Sampo (1975)
101 min | Drama
Going through a jail and a site of construction, a young laborer Young-Dal meets middle aged Mr. Jeong on his way to his hometown Sampo after ten years' absence. They become to know a ... See full summary »
Director: Lee Man-hee | Stars: Baek Il-seob, Jin Kyu Kim, Suk Mun, Ki-beom Kim
Votes: 178
14. The Power of Kangwon Province (1998)
110 min | Drama
Helmed by one of Korea's leading directors, Hong Sang-soo, Jisook joins two of her girlfriends for a holiday in Korea's Kangwon Province. But in an eerie twist of fate, her former lover, ... See full summary »
Director: Hong Sang-soo | Stars: Jong-hak Baek, Oh Yun-hong, Kim Yu-seok, Jaehyun Chun
Votes: 1,014
15. Joint Security Area (2000)
Not Rated | 110 min | Action, Drama, Thriller
After a shooting incident at the North-South Korean border DMZ leaves two North Korean soldiers dead, a neutral Swiss and Swedish team investigates what actually happened.
Director: Park Chan-wook | Stars: Lee Yeong-ae, Lee Byung-hun, Song Kang-ho, Kim Tae-woo
Votes: 34,187
16. Gwilo (1967)
90 min | Drama
A writer who was disabled during the Korean War (1950-1953) is now contributing a serial to a newspaper. His wife, who once adored him, is tempted by a young man she happens to know. But he... See full summary »
Director: Lee Man-hee | Stars: Jin Kyu Kim, Jeong-suk Moon, Gye-hyeon Jeon
Votes: 45
17. Why Has Bodhi-Dharma Left for the East? (1989)
Not Rated | 137 min | Drama
About three monks in a remote monastery; an aging master, a small orphan and a young man who left his city life to seek Enlightenment.
Director: Yong-Kyun Bae | Stars: Yi Pan-Yong, Sin Won-Sop, Hae-Jin Huang, Su-Myong Ko
Votes: 1,448
18. The Coachman (1961)
97 min | Drama
A man tries to raise his two sons and two daughters under some of the most adverse conditions known to man. The father operates a horse-drawn cart, but in a city that is modernizing after ... See full summary »
Director: Kang Dae-jin | Stars: Seung-ho Kim, Yeong-gyun Shin, Jeong-sun Hwang, Mi-lyeong Jo
Votes: 165
19. Declaration of Fools (1983)
97 min | Comedy, Drama
This is a film which ridicules the weaknesses of South Korean society.
Director: Lee Jang-ho | Stars: Lee Bo-hee, Kim Myung-gon, Hie-seong Lee, Kim Jee-young
Votes: 114
20. Arirang (1926)
Action, Drama
A man comes to stay at a friend's house in the country. The household consists of a father, daughter, and a mentally disturbed son. The man falls in love with the daughter. One day she is ... See full summary »
Director: Woon-gyu Na | Stars: Woon-gyu Na, Il-seon Shin, Tae-jin Kim, Myeong-seon Hong
Votes: 39
21. Mist (1967)
79 min | Drama
A married man who moved to live in Seoul for a better life visits the small town where he grew up and falls in love with a local girl.
Director: Kim Soo-yong | Stars: Shin Seong-il, Yun Jeong-hie, Bin-hwa Lee, Nak-hun Lee
Votes: 116
22. Pursuit of Death (1980)
110 min | Drama
Two ruined, old adversaries meet in a rehab center and reassess the conflict that dominated their lives since the Korean War. One man is a former cop and the other is a former communist ... See full summary »
Director: Im Kwon-taek | Stars: Kim Hee-ra, Yun-seok Choi, Hie Bang, Jeong-ran Kim
Votes: 117
23. Late Autumn (1966)
95 min | Drama, Romance
Director: Lee Man-hee | Stars: Shin Seong-il, Jeong-suk Moon, Jeong-cheol Kim
Votes: 16
24. The March of Fools (1975)
102 min | Comedy
The story is set in the 1970s during the period of military dictatorship. Schools were frequently closed down and society seemed to face bleak prospects on all fronts. Nonetheless, Byung ... See full summary »
Director: Ha Gil-jong | Stars: Nam-hyeon Choi, Kim Hee-ra, Ha Jae-Young, Se-geun Jeong
Votes: 140
25. Shiri (1999)
R | 125 min | Action, Thriller
South Korean agents Ryu and Lee are tracking a female assassin from North Korea who has mysteriously disappeared. With new killings and the theft of a deadly bomb, time is running out to catch her.
Director: Kang Je-kyu | Stars: Han Suk-kyu, Choi Min-sik, Yunjin Kim, Song Kang-ho
Votes: 8,576 | Gross: $0.10M
26. Chunhyang (2000)
R | 137 min | Drama, Musical, Romance
A governor's son falls in love and marries a beautiful girl, the daughter of a courtesan. Their marriage is kept a secret from the governor who would immediately disown him if he found that his son married beneath him.
Director: Im Kwon-taek | Stars: Hyo-jeong Lee, Cho Seung-woo, Seong-nyeo Kim, Lee Jung-hun
Votes: 1,805 | Gross: $0.80M
27. Take Care of My Cat (2001)
112 min | Drama
In the port city of Icheon, five female friends struggle to stay close while forging a life for themselves after high school. When one of the group, upwardly-mobile Hae-ju, moves to Seoul, ... See full summary »
Director: Jae-eun Jeong | Stars: Bae Doona, Lee Yo-won, Ok Ji-young, Eung-ju Lee
Votes: 2,594 | Gross: $0.00M
28. Gilsodom (1986)
100 min | Drama
A historical drama that incorporates real footage from the 1983 KBS campaign to reunite families divided by the Korean War with the fictional story of Hwa-yeong, a woman who leaves her ... See full summary »
Director: Im Kwon-taek | Stars: Ji-mee Kim, Shin Seong-il, Ji-il Han, Kim Jee-young
Votes: 110
29. The Deep Blue Night (1985)
93 min | Drama
Baek Ho-bin jumps into an arranged marriage with Jane for a green card and a chance to succeed in America. Because she felt like an isolated foreigner, his love is a beacon of hope. When ... See full summary »
Director: Bae Chang-ho | Stars: Ahn Sung-ki, Chang Mi-hee, Yu-yeong Jin, Min-hie Choi
Votes: 54
30. No. 3 (1997)
108 min | Action, Comedy, Crime
Tae Ju, number 3 man in his gangster organization, he wants to be the number one. Can he realize his ambition?
Director: Neung-han Song | Stars: Bang Eun-hee, Song Kang-ho, Seong-ho Lee, Lee Mi-yeon
Votes: 720
31. On the Occasion of Remembering the Turning Gate (2002)
115 min | Drama
Actor Kyung Soo leaves Seoul to visit an old classmate. The reunion with his friend does not amount to much, but the trip does lead to some romantic encounters. He gets involved with two ... See full summary »
Director: Hong Sang-soo | Stars: Choo Sang-mi, Ye Ji-won, George Georgiou, Jeon Guk-hyang
Votes: 1,466
32. A Single Spark (1995)
92 min | Drama
The film intercuts two stories, one in black and white, one in color. From 1965 to 1970.
Directors: Park Kwang-su, Park Kwang Soo | Stars: Dong Bang-Woo, Kim Bo-Kyeong, Kim Bo-kyung, Yoo Byeong-Seok
Votes: 327
33. Io Island (1977)
110 min | Horror, Mystery
An investor planning on developing a tourist resort begins an investigation into the legends of the mysterious Io Island in the hope of exploiting its unspoiled beauty.
Director: Kim Ki-young | Stars: Hwa-shi Lee, Jeong-cheol Kim, Yun-seok Choi, Mi-hye Kwon
Votes: 496
34. Jayu buin (1956)
125 min | Drama
Oh starts working at a boutique to help her make a living. Professor Jang begins dating the typist Miss Park, but decides to break up with her to protect her family. Han's wife anonymously sends a letter to Jang to reveal Oh's affair.
Director: Hyeong-mo Han | Stars: Am Park, Jeong-rim Kim, Kyeong-hie No, Seon-tae Ju
Votes: 154
35. Save the Green Planet! (2003)
Not Rated | 118 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
Byeong-gu believes that the world is on the verge of an alien invasion, and sets out to save the world.
Director: Joon-Hwan Jang | Stars: Shin Ha-kyun, Baek Yun-shik, Hwang Jung-min, Lee Jae-yong
Votes: 8,700 | Gross: $0.01M
36. The Night Before the Strike (1990)
105 min | Drama
There are 200 miserably impoverished people working in the Dongseong Metalworks Factory. JU Wan-ik is introduced to the forging team as a new member of the team and they all go drinking together to welcome him.
Directors: Dong-hong Jang, Yun-hyeon Jang, Eun Lee, J.Q. Lee
Votes: 35
37. The Pollen of Flowers (1972)
85 min | Drama, Mystery
A wealthy businessman brings his handsome male secretary/secret lover to his home, who leads the family into a maelstrom of jealousy and desire.
Director: Ha Gil-jong | Stars: Ji-hie Choi, Won Namkung
Votes: 63
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