KOFA
by Grethiwha | created - 18 Mar 2018 | updated - 1 month ago | PublicDue to censorship and a variety of other reasons and interruptions, Korean cinema as we know it didn't really take off until the late 1990s. But that's not to say there weren't a lot of really interesting films made before that. The Korean Film Archive is aimed at preserving and restoring those films, including many that were banned in Korea or thought to have been lost or destroyed.
This is a list of the films that KOFA have released on blu-ray. These blu-ray releases are all English-subtitled, region-free, and include booklets and special features that are also English-friendly, unlike just about any other Korean imports I've come across. They are every bit the same quality of a "Criterion Collection" release.
Many of them are also available on KOFA's YouTube channel for free, as I've linked below, albeit not always in their restored form.
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1. 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
2. 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
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PvzT5WnNrA
3. Heavenly Homecoming to Stars (1974)
105 min | Drama
A man and a woman fall for one another, but she is haunted by her troubled history with men.
Director: Lee Jang-ho | Stars: In-suk Ahn, Shin Seong-il, Il-bong Yun
Votes: 86
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cTDLnc3D30
4. Chilsu and Mansu (1988)
109 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
A painter quits his job and looks to an old acquaintance for work and a place to stay.
Director: Park Kwang-su | Stars: Bae Jong-ok, Park Joong-hoon, Kang Shin-il, Ahn Sung-ki
Votes: 252
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cmtZ4XYz7E
5. Gagman (1989)
127 min | Comedy
Lee Jong-se is a third-rate comedian who believes himself to be a creative genius. He desires nothing more than to be a movie director. When he befriends barber, Mun Do-seok who has hopes ... See full summary »
Director: Lee Myung-se | Stars: Ahn Sung-ki, Hwang Sin-hye, Bae Chang-ho, Jeon Moo-song
Votes: 107
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvNK9Cn4Lmk
6. 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: 787
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfxIfK8ThFc
7. The Last Witness (1980)
158 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A detective investigating a murder follows a convoluted trail littered with treachery, ruined lives, and tragedy.
Director: Lee Doo-yong | Stars: Ha Myeong-jung, Yun Jeong-hie, Bool-am Choi, Kil-soo Hyeon
Votes: 159
8. People in the Slum (1982)
108 min | Drama
Mosaic portrait of people living in an impoverished neighborhood in Seoul.
Director: Bae Chang-ho | Stars: Kim Bo-yeon, Ahn Sung-ki, Kim Hee-ra, Gong Ok-jin
Votes: 78
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqo7KL2DrMY
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
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdjwD4jW4XY
10. 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
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eloiWNPkdFg
11. 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: 499
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMrDC6lM9j8
12. 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
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfEuV43YTcI
13. 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
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wskvXnTdSn8
14. A Day Off (1968)
73 min | Drama
Two lovers face a bleak future in 1960s Seoul.
Directors: Lee Man-hee, Lee Man-Hee-I | Stars: Kim Eun-Ok, An Eun-Suk, Kim Gyeong-Ra, Jo Hyang
Votes: 233
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2f6eLMTooaM
15. White Badge (1992)
Not Rated | 122 min | War
South Korea, 1979. Han Kiju is an alcoholic novelist who has never recovered from his year long tour as a volunteer soldier in Vietnam. When he's asked to write a book about the Korean ... See full summary »
Director: Jeong Ji-yeong | Stars: Ahn Sung-ki, Lee Kyoung-young, Shim Hye-jin, Do-hun Ahn
Votes: 232
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQTNZgVTKlM
16. The Devil's Stairway (1964)
108 min | Thriller
A man wants to leave his mistress so he can marry the daughter of the director of the hospital. However, complications ensue and the devil in this man is released.
Director: Lee Man-hee | Stars: Jeong-suk Moon, Jin Kyu Kim, Seong-ja Bang
Votes: 126
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnvRpQFsgrY&t=2s
17. Goryeojang (1963)
90 min | Drama
Prior to the adoption of Confucianism, it was the tradition to abandon one's parents on a mountainside if they were over 70 years of age. In the ancient kingdom of Goryeo, now modern Korea,... See full summary »
Director: Kim Ki-young | Stars: Jin Kyu Kim, Jeung-nyeo Ju, Ye-chun Lee
Votes: 153
18. My Mother and Her Guest (1961)
103 min | Drama, Romance
Ok-hui lives with her grandmother, her mother and the maid. People refer to their house as the "Widow House" because all three adult women who live there are widows. One day, a teacher named Mr. Han moves into the house as a lodger.
Director: Shin Sang-ok | Stars: Choi Eun-hie, Yeong-gyun Shin, Yeong-seon Jeon, Jin Kyu Kim
Votes: 212
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_bWx5n0n8Y
19. Green Rain (1966)
100 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
Cheol, an auto mechanic, and Yeong-hui, a maid meet. Cheol lies and tells Yeong-hui that he is the son of a businessman. Cheol pretends to be the French ambassador's daughter. They meet only on rainy days.
Director: Jung Jin-woo | Stars: Shin Seong-il, Hie Mun, Han-seob Kim
Votes: 63
20. North Korean Partisan in South Korea (1990)
157 min | War
South Korean production exploring a North Korean perspective of the long, grueling account of the Korean War based on memoirs of Lee Tae, former news agency correspondent who fought for North Korean partisans.
Director: Jeong Ji-yeong | Stars: Ahn Sung-ki, Lee Hye-yeong, Jin-shil Choi, Choi Min-soo
Votes: 154
21. The Flower in Hell (1958)
87 min | Crime, Drama, Romance
A country bumpkin (Dong-shik) goes to Seoul in order to bring his older brother (Young-shik)back to the country. Little does he know Young-shik is a petty crook involved with a prostitute (Sonia) who is servicing American GIs. Then Sonia comes onto Dong-shik...
Director: Shin Sang-ok | Stars: Hak Kim, Choi Eun-hie, Hae-won Jo, Seon-hui Gang
Votes: 220
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CP5-eOOSCog
22. Whale Hunting (1984)
112 min | Drama
A disillusioned student meets a eccentric beggar and a mute prostitute he falls in love with. Together, without money, they cross South Korea to help the girl go home.
Director: Bae Chang-ho | Stars: Ahn Sung-ki, Lee Mi-sook, Su-chol Kim, Dae-kun Lee
Votes: 91
23. 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
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UqqB0HUFmUU
24. 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
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Drz_bK4GkTE
25. Sorum (2001)
Unrated | 109 min | Drama, Horror, Mystery
A 30 year old mystery resurfaces and takes over the lives of the people living in an eerie apartment complex.
Director: Jong-chan Yun | Stars: Jin-young Jang, Kim Myung-min, Jo An, Ju Bu-jin
Votes: 997
26. Sanbul (1977)
83 min
A war breaks out and all the men in a village are taken away to fight. Gyu-bok has run from the battle, ending up at the village where Jum-rye helps him to hide. Romance develops between ... See full summary »
Director: Kim Soo-yong | Stars: Shin Seong-il, Gye-hyeon Jeon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMyBmK8enLg
27. The Hut (1981)
93 min | Drama, Horror, Mystery
An attractive young woman has been called on to help rid a haunted family of its demons - the male heirs all die young, and one is now in a coma - she has to clear the environment where several exorcists have failed before her.
Director: Lee Doo-yong | Stars: Ji-in Yu, Won Namkung, Jeong-sun Hwang, Seong-ho Choi
Votes: 54
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xp-5r9y_KNM
28. 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
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4djhhewVJg
29. A Bloodthirsty Killer (1965)
93 min | Horror, Thriller
A jealous mother kills her daughter-in-law with the maid's help. But the murdered woman's spirit takes the form of a cat to seek revenge.
Director: Yong-min Lee | Stars: Ye-chun Lee, Kum-Bong Do, Ae-ran Jeong, Bin-hwa Lee
Votes: 137
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVVtAPh2M9Q
30. A Hometown in Heart (1949)
77 min | Drama
Do-seong is a child monk who lives at a small mountain temple with the head monk, learning the teachings of Buddha. He becomes attached to a young widow who comes to pray at the temple, and... See full summary »
Director: Yong-Gyu Yoon | Stars: Ki-jong Byeon, Heon-yong Oh, Seung-min Nam, Min Yu
Votes: 181
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jw4WFDq-uUg
31. The Black Republic (1990)
100 min | Drama
In the winter of 1980s coal mining town, Ki-young runs away from the police due to his student protest and hides into the town. Then, Ki-young meets an unhappy waitress Young-sook who falls for him, and two people decide to leave together.
Director: Park Kwang-su | Stars: Shim Hye-jin, Park Joong-hoon, Jin-hui Kim, Min-oe Kim
Votes: 139
32. Hong Kil-dong (1967)
67 min | Adventure, Animation, Fantasy
A special boy is born on a day where hurricanes and wicked spirits struck medieval Korea. The citizens and family learn that the infant has super human strength and cunning intelligence. As... See full summary »
Director: Shin Dong-heon
Votes: 50
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcXignso3pk
33. Hopi and Chadol Bawi (1967)
74 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
Wangho (Big Tiger) who always wears tiger skin and Chadol Bawi (Hard Rock) fight against corrupt public officials and wicked bandits.
Director: Shin Dong-heon
Votes: 26
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvJo-Tny6eQ
34. Marine Battleground (1963)
88 min | Drama, War
A division of marines survive a battle with the Chinese army but find themselves stranded without contact on the wrong side of the front.
Director: Lee Man-hee | Stars: Jock Mahoney, Pat Yi, Youngson Chon, Dong-hwi Jang
Votes: 144
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rrBUUWRlwc
35. Heungbuwa Nolbu (1967)
67 min | Animation, Family, History
This film whose main characters are marionettes deals with the old Korean folktale 'Heungbu and Nolbu.' Greedy elder brother Nolbu kicks his good-natured brother Heungbu out of home and ... See full summary »
Director: Gang Tae-ung
Votes: 8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=toDMRs8tKIs
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