Dan Smith's Top 200 South Korean Films
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- DirectorPark Chan-wookStarsChoi Min-sikYoo Ji-taeKang Hye-jeongAfter being kidnapped and imprisoned for fifteen years, Oh Dae-Su is released, only to find that he must track down his captor in five days.
- DirectorNa Hong-jinStarsJun KunimuraHwang Jung-minKwak Do-wonSoon after a stranger arrives in a little village, a mysterious sickness starts spreading. A policeman, drawn into the incident, is forced to solve the mystery in order to save his daughter.
- DirectorNa Hong-jinStarsKim Yoon-seokHa Jung-wooSeo Yeong-hieA disgraced ex-policeman who runs a small ring of prostitutes finds himself in a race against time when one of his women goes missing.
- DirectorKyu-maan LeeStarsPark Yong-wooRyu Seung-ryongSung Dong-ilThe film is based on a true case from the early 1990s that is known among Koreans as the "disappearance of the frog children." In 1991, five elementary school students told their parents that they were going to hang out on a nearby mountain to catch frogs. They went missing.
- DirectorHa YooStarsZo In-sungChun Ho-jinMin Nam-koongA small time thug collecting debts for the local triad is torn between his criminal aspirations and his devotion to family.
- DirectorYoon Jong-binStarsChoi Min-sikHa Jung-wooCho Jin-woongOn the verge of being fired, a corrupt customs official finds a haul of drugs and teams up with a vicious gangster to become the most powerful crime partnership in Busan.
- DirectorPark Chan-wookStarsLee Yeong-aeLee Byung-hunSong Kang-hoAfter 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.
- DirectorKang Woo-sukStarsSol Kyung-guLee Sung-jaeKang Shin-ilA detective plays cat-and-mouse with a banker who brutally murdered his own parents.
- DirectorWoon-hak BaekStarsSon Hyeon-juMa Dong-seokDaniel ChoiA decorated detective involved in a taxi driver's death realizes he is caught in a trap and must untangle past mistakes to figure out why he was targeted in the first place.
- DirectorHa YooStarsLee Min-hoKim Rae-wonJung Jin-youngJong-Dae and Yong-Ki make a living by picking up paper and empty bottles. Both then join different gangster clan and becomes involved in a struggle of political interests over development in Gangnam, Seoul.
- DirectorIm Sang-sooStarsJeon Do-yeonLee Jung-jaeYoun Yuh-jungA man's affair with his family's housemaid leads to dark consequences.
- DirectorKim Ki-dukStarsJo Min-sooLee Jung-JinWoo Ki-hongA loan shark is forced to reconsider his violent lifestyle after the arrival of a mysterious woman claiming to be his long-lost mother.
- DirectorJae-young KwakStarsCha Tae-hyunJun Ji-hyunIn-mun KimA young man sees a drunk, cute woman standing too close to the tracks at a metro station in Seoul and pulls her back. She ends up getting him into trouble repeatedly after that, starting on the train.
- DirectorPark Hoon-jungStarsLee Jung-jaeChoi Min-sikHwang Jung-minAn undercover cop finds it difficult to play both a cop and a goon.
- DirectorBong Joon HoStarsSong Kang-hoKim Sang-kyungKim Roe-haIn a small Korean province in 1986, two detectives struggle with the case of multiple young women being found raped and murdered by an unknown culprit.
- DirectorKyung-taek KwakStarsYu Oh-seongJang Dong-gunSeo Tae-hwaFour childhood friends go their separate ways, two go off to college while the others become rival gangsters.
- DirectorLee Hae-junStarsJeong Jae-yeongJung Ryeo-wonYeong-seo ParkA failed suicide attempt leads a heartbroken man to live a life in the wilderness.
- DirectorJee-woon KimStarsSong Kang-hoLee Byung-hunJung Woo-sungThe story of two outlaws and a bounty hunter in 1940s Manchuria and their rivalry to possess a treasure map while being pursued by the Japanese army and Chinese bandits.
- DirectorKang Woo-sukStarsJeong Jae-yeongPark Hae-ilYoo Joon-sangA mysterious person calls a young man and informs him that his estranged father has died in a country village. The curious son travels to the town to discover what happened. From there out the audience is led on a thrilling and hauntingly atmospheric journey into the history of the father and the truth about his relationship to the threatening and violent locals. The film is 2h40m, long even for Korean standards, but it is the magically haunting and at the same time threatening atmosphere in the film that sustains the audience interest. Let yourself be carried away...
- DirectorLee Jeong-beomStarsWon BinKim Sae-ronKim Tae-hoonA quiet pawnshop keeper with a violent past takes on a drug-and-organ trafficking ring in hope of saving the child who is his only friend.
- DirectorSong Il-gonStarsKam Woo-seongJung SuhKang Kyung-hunA recently widowed TV producer is drawn to an isolated cabin in a mysterious woods.
- DirectorJee-woon KimStarsLee Byung-hunChoi Min-sikJeon Gook-hwanA secret agent exacts revenge on a serial killer through a series of captures and releases.
- DirectorLee Jeong-beomStarsJang Dong-gunKim Min-heeBrian TeeA hit man traumatized from accidentally killing a young girl during a job is given the mission to eliminate her mother, and begins the ultimate fight to save her life.
- DirectorJoon-Hwan JangStarsShin Ha-kyunBaek Yun-shikHwang Jung-minByeong-gu believes that the world is on the verge of an alien invasion, and sets out to save the world.
- DirectorYeon Sang-hoStarsGong YooJung Yu-miMa Dong-seokWhile a zombie virus breaks out in South Korea, passengers struggle to survive on the train from Seoul to Busan.
- DirectorHan Jae-rimStarsSong Kang-hoOh Dal-suChoi Il-hwaA light hearted action noir about a part time gangster who tries to be a full time daddy and wants to live a peaceful life with his family despite of being in trouble almost all the time, due to his profession.
- DirectorKim Seong-hunStarsLee Sun-kyunCho Jin-woongJeong Man-sikAfter trying to cover up a car accident that left a man dead, a crooked homicide detective is stalked by a mysterious man claiming to have witnessed the event.
- DirectorWon Shin-yeonStarsSol Kyung-guKim Nam-gilKim Seol-hyunA former serial killer with Alzheimer's fights to protect his daughter from her psychotic boyfriend.
- DirectorKwang-tae KimStarsRyu Seung-ryongLee Sung-minChun Woo-heeShortly after the Korean war, a father and a son are wandering through the country and make a stop in a remote village, where strange and dangerous happenings occur.
- DirectorYunsung KangStarsMa Dong-seokYoon KyesangJo Jae-yoonBased on real events, this crime action film depicts a Seoul detective's attempts to keep peace while two Chinese-Korean gangs battle over turf in the neighborhood.
- DirectorHyeong-Joon KimStarsSol Kyung-guRyu Seung-beomHan Hye-jinDespite being nearly proven the murderer, a serial killer threatens to kill the daughter of a forensic pathologist if he doesn't get him bailed out.
- DirectorKwang-shik KimStarsKo Chang-seokShin Chi-youngKim Eui-sungA promising young actress takes her own life after a scandal erupts over her relationship with a married politician. Woo-gun, the actress' long-time devoted manager who dedicated everything to building her career, initiates vengeful investigation to expose the sources of the malicious rumor. With help from a reporter friend, Woo-gun breaks into rag trade, and as he delves deeper into the case he is shocked to find a nasty conspiracy tangling politics, business, and the entertainment industry together in a nefarious web of lies.
- DirectorKim Sung-suStarsJang HyukSoo AeMin-ah ParkChaos ensues when a lethal, airborne virus infects the population of a South Korean city less than 20 kilometers from Seoul.
- DirectorKim Sung-suStarsJung Woo-sungHwang Jung-minJu Ji-hoonA shady cop finds himself in over his head when he gets caught between Internal Affairs and the city's corrupt mayor.
- DirectorHun JangStarsSong Kang-hoGang Dong-wonKo Chang-seokA fired South Korean agent and a deserted North Korean spy meet by chance after six years and start a business partnership, each with the intention of stealing information from the other.
- DirectorJee-woon KimStarsPark In-hwanNa Moon-heeSong Kang-hoA family opens a mountain inn where their first guest commits suicide. Suddenly all their guests befall horrible fates.
- DirectorKyung-taek KwakStarsKim Yoon-seokYoo Hae-jinHyun Bong-sikA detective and a fortune teller join forces to find a kidnapped child whom none expects to be alive.
- DirectorDae-min ParkStarsHwang Jung-minRyu Deok-hwanUhm Ji-wonThe story takes place in occupied Korea at the start of the 20th century, where a young student in medicine discovers the murdered body of the son of a government official. Being scared of being accused, he decides to hire Hong Jin-ho (a detective) to help him find the murderer before the police accuse him of the murder.
- DirectorRyu Seung-wanStarsHwang Jung-minRyu Seung-beomYoo Hae-jinWhen the most probable serial killer suspect dies and the case looks like it's reached a dead end, police brass decide to create a killer - and anyone will do.
- DirectorHun JangStarsSo Ji-seobKo Chang-seokJang Hie-jinA gangster who wants to be an actor; an actor more gangster than anything. Here their paths and lives begin to cross.
- DirectorYoo-jin KimStarsYang Dong-geunJung Jin-youngHan Chae-youngTwo detectives investigate a string of horrific murders in Seoul and zero in on a sadistic gang leader who carries an actual ball and chain.
- DirectorHae-Young LeeStarsRyu Jun-yeolKim Sung-ryungHalley KimA police detective determined to catch the unseen boss of Asia's biggest drug cartel joins hands with a revenge-thirsty member of the gang.
- DirectorRyu Seung-wanStarsHwang Jung-minYoo Ah-inYoo Hae-jinA honest cop seeks justice for a common man against all odds. A rich boy seeks revenge on the cop.
- DirectorHun JangStarsSong Kang-hoThomas KretschmannYoo Hae-jinA widowed father and taxi driver who drives a German reporter from Seoul to Gwangju to cover the 1980 uprising, soon finds himself regretting his decision after being caught in the violence around him.
- DirectorKwang-Hyun ParkStarsJeong Jae-yeongShin Ha-kyunKang Hye-jeongSoldiers from both sides of the Korean divide live among villagers who know nothing of the war.
- DirectorHan Jae-rimStarsZo In-sungRyu Jun-yeolBae Sung-wooThe story of a young prosecutor who rises swiftly to power, but tumbles even quicker.
- DirectorJung Doo HongJee-woon KimStarsLee Byung-hunShin Min-aKim Yeong-cheolThings go wrong for a high ranking mobster when he doesn't follow his boss's orders.
- DirectorWoo-seok YangStarsJung Woo-sungKwak Do-wonKim Kap-suA coup in North Korea forces an agent to defect to South with unconscious "Number One". While operatives from North hunt for both of them, the agent has to work with South Koreans to stop the nuclear war.
- DirectorKim Seong-hunStarsHa Jung-wooBae DoonaOh Dal-suA man is on his way home when the poorly constructed tunnel he is driving through collapses, leaving him trapped.
- DirectorChang Won JangStarsHyun BinYoo Ji-taeBae Sung-wooUnlikely allies from different sides of the law must work together to achieve a common goal -- trapping the world's most legendary con man.
- DirectorSoon-rye YimStarsPark Hae-ilLee Kyoung-youngYoo Yeon-seok"This film is based on the true story of disgraced Korean researcher whose unethical practices were exposed after he received critical alarm for good work." -- Screen Red
- DirectorHyeon NaStarsKim Rae-wonHan Suk-kyuJeon Bae-sooA troubled ex-cop imprisoned for a hit-and-run accident discovers that the entire penitentiary is controlled by an inmate who has been running a crime syndicate with the help of the warden and guards which provides them 100% alibi.
- DirectorJee-woon KimStarsLee Byung-hunGong YooSong Kang-hoKorean resistance fighters smuggle explosives to destroy facilities controlled by Japanese forces in this period action thriller.
- DirectorHwang Dong-hyukStarsShim Eun-kyungNa Moon-heePark In-hwanA 74-year-old widow realizes she is becoming a burden on her family. She mysteriously regains her physical appearance from the age of 20.
- DirectorMin-ho WooStarsLee Byung-hunCho Seung-wooBaek Yun-shikA former political henchman seeks out revenge for being dropped by a ruthless politician while a determined investigator tries to find proof of a connection between the two of them.
- DirectorCheol-soo JangStarsSeo Yeong-hieJi Seong-wonMin-ho HwangA woman subject to mental, physical and sexual abuse on a remote island seeks a way out.
- DirectorTae-Gyun KimStarsKim Yoon-seokJu Ji-hoonJin Seon-kyuA criminal thriller about the fierce psychological confrontation between a detective and a killer who confessed to multiple murders.
- DirectorJung Byung-gilStarsJeong Jae-yeongPark Shi-hooJung Hae-kyunLee Du-Seok publishes an autobiography describing murders he committed after the statute of limitations expires. A detective and one of the victim's mothers search for the author while an anonymous person claims to be the real killer.
- DirectorGeun-seop JeongStarsUhm JunghwaKim Sang-kyungSong Young-chang15 years ago, a mother lost her child in a kidnapping case. A similar crime happens again and she won't let him go this time.
- DirectorJeong-hoon KimStarsKwon Sang-wooSung Dong-ilSeo Yeong-hieA true-crime enthusiast and a washed up cop facing demotion launch a joint murder investigation to help a mutual friend who is wrongfully charged with murder.
- DirectorLee Il-HyungIl-Hyeong LeeStarsHwang Jung-minGang Dong-wonJung Seung BaeAfter a prosecution lawyer is framed and convicted for murder, he tries to catch the real murderer from jail with the help of a con artist.
- DirectorYeon-woo LeeStarsKim Yoon-seokJung Kyung-hoSeon Woo-seonJo Pil-seong, a rural detective, is an unhappy husband, often blamed by his older wife for gambling. Despite her being hard on him, he steals money from her to bet on bull butting. Fortunately, he chalks up an unexpected win, but his luck, by no means, lasts long because his money gets snatched by an unprecedented absconder.
- DirectorByung-woo KimStarsWon-Jin AhnLee Da-witChoi Deok-moonA newsman discovers he's been rigged with a bomb after he has an exclusive interview with a terrorist who blew up a bridge.
- DirectorSeok-beom KangStarsKim Byeong-OkJi Dae-hanPark Eun-hyeReleased from prison, Taesik goes to live with an adopted mother. He takes a job and tries to live a quiet life with his new family. His efforts are threatened when a politician seeks to knock the family restaurant down to build a mall.
- DirectorPil-sung YimStarsCheon Jeong-myeongEun Won-jaeShim Eun-kyungAfter meeting a mysterious girl on an dark stretch of road, a young salesman is invited to a beautiful house with bizarre secrets and no way to escape.
- DirectorYoung-Sung SohnStarsHa Jung-wooPark Hee-soonJang HyukElite attorney Kang Seong-Hee goes up against a top prosecutor over a case involving a man accused of killing his wife.
- DirectorJae-hyun JangStarsKim Yoon-seokGang Dong-wonKim Byeong-OkTwo priests have to find out if a young girl was attacked by an evil spirit or human molester in order to save her life.
- DirectorWon Shin-yeonWon Sin YunStarsLee Byung-joonOh Dal-suKyung Ho JungOn a day trip through countryside, aspiring opera singer In-jeong flees to woods to escape advances of her lecherous professor and mentor, Yeong-sun.
- DirectorJi-hoon KimStarsKim Sang-kyungSol Kyung-guSon Ye-jinA Christmas Eve party at a luxury residential building takes a horrific turn when a fire breaks out.
- DirectorJin-mo ChoStarsRyu Seung-beomSung Dong-ilPark Chul-minA former professional baseball player, Byeong-wu, made a successful career transition into a high-flying insurance advisor, thanks to his keen business sense and quick wits. But one day, one of his clients committed suicide and passed away and once hero Byeong-wu is now subject to internal investigation. Now he starts to run through his client list and finds a suspicious group of people introduced to him by the same person - and starts visiting them one by one.
- DirectorHan-min KimStarsChoi Min-sikRyu Seung-ryongCho Jin-woongAdmiral Yi Sun-sin faces a tough challenge when he is forced to defend his nation with just 13 battleships against 300 Japanese enemy ships in the Battle of Myeongryang.
- DirectorJeong-ho LeeStarsJeong Jae-yeongLee Sung-minSeo Jun-yeongA man becomes a fugitive from the police after he kills one of the men who raped and murdered his daughter.
- DirectorPark Chan-wookStarsNam-mi KangJeong-nam ChoiHye-Sook GoAfter being wrongfully imprisoned for thirteen years and having her child taken away from her, a woman seeks revenge through increasingly brutal means.
- DirectorCheol-hie ParkStarsShin Ha-kyunYun Ji-hyeKim Min-joonA mute hit-man vows to kill only the rude, and save up enough money for tongue surgery.
- DirectorLee Jeong-beomStarsSol Kyung-guJo Han-sunNa Moon-heeAlong with a partner, a small-time crook arrives at the hometown of his mentor's killer to seek revenge, but gets caught in a fix upon befriending the killer's mother.
- DirectorKim Ki-dukStarsKim Ki-dukOh Yeong-suJong-ho KimA boy is raised by a Buddhist monk in an isolated floating temple where the years pass like the seasons.
- DirectorOwen ChoSang-Hwa KimCho OwenStarsChun Ho-jinYoo Hae-jinA post-traumatic stress disorder patient bounded to his bed, finds himself sharing his room with a gang looking paralyzed amnesia patient. And he must kill him off before he is recognized.
- DirectorWoo-seok YangStarsSong Kang-hoKwak Do-wonIm Si-wanAn ambitious tax attorney decides to represent an old friend in court.
- DirectorLee Joon-ikStarsLee ReSol Kyung-guUhm Ji-wonStory of an 8-year-old girl who faces a horrible rape that damages her internally and affects her emotionally, trying to overcome all the obstacles following the incident with the good support of those around her.
- DirectorHyun-seok KimStarsNa Moon-heeLee JehoonPark Chul-minAn elderly woman who constantly files complaints with the local office about the wrongs that she sees around her each day, forms an unlikely friendship with a junior civil service officer, who begins to teach her English.
- DirectorBong Joon HoStarsTilda SwintonPaul DanoAhn Seo-hyunA young girl risks everything to prevent a powerful, multinational company from kidnapping her best friend - a fascinating beast named Okja.
- DirectorDong-Suk KukStarsSon Ye-jinKim Kap-suLee Kyu-hanDa-eun lives a happy life with her single father. However, their relationship is about to take an unexpected turn because she becomes suspicious that her father might be a monstrous kidnapper.
- DirectorUi-seok JoStarsLee Byung-hunGang Dong-wonKim Woo-binSouth Korea's financial crime unit launches a manhunt for a con man involved in a nationwide financial fraud after he absconds with the money and takes on a new identity.
- DirectorKim Ki-dukStarsCho Jae-hyunSeo Yeong-juLee Na-raA father driven into desire, a son coveting that of his father's and the sorrowful maternity that hovers them into tragedy.
- DirectorByun Sung-hyunStarsSol Kyung-guIm Si-wanLee Kyoung-youngA young cop finds his loyalties divided after befriending a notorious criminal while undercover in prison.
- DirectorHak-Ryeol YunStarsJung Eui-chulKim Jung-kyunKim Saet-byulWon-Sool (Kim Jung-Kyoon) is an adult man with cerebral palsy. His daughter Jaya (Oh Ye-Sul) is his pride and joy. Jaya though is bullied at school and even worse things happen to her. Won-Sool later decides to get revenge on his daughter's tormentors.
- DirectorSoo-youn LeeStarsCho Jin-woongShin GooKim Dae-myungDr. Seung-hoon sedates his landlord before medical check-up, when the old man begins telling him a convincing murder confession.
- DirectorRyu Seung-wanStarsHa Jung-wooHan Suk-kyuRyu Seung-beomJong-seong, a North Korean ghost agent, interrupts an illegal arms sale in Berlin. A notorious North Korean agent tests the loyalties of everyone involved as Jong-Seong prepares to make the ultimate sacrifice.
- DirectorYang Ik-joonStarsKim KkobbiHwan LeeYang Ik-joonA bitter loan shark strikes a friendship with a troubled schoolgirl as he faces his own troubled past with his abusive father.
- DirectorKim Ki-dukStarsHa Jung-wooPark Ji-yeonBaek Gwang-DooTo save her relationship, a woman puts herself through extensive plastic surgery.
- DirectorLee Ho-jaeStarsErik BrownDean DawsonLee HaneeThe plot revolves around a robotic satellite with artificial intelligence that crash lands in Korea and contains clues for a father who is desperately searching for his missing daughter.
- DirectorJoo-hwan KimStarsPark Seo-joonKang Ha-neulPark Ha-seonTwo friends who are students at Korean National Police University, find themselves in an endless race against time after they witness a kidnapping and decide to use their knowledge.
- DirectorBong-han KimStarsHee Sun ChungJo Dal-hwanKim Do-yeobAn up-righteous police officer with a wife and son gets involved with a conspiracy after he arrested a murderer by chance. His weakness was his son needed an operation to treat his legs. Which path to choose? Righteousness or conspiracy?
- DirectorSeok-jae HongStarsByun Yo-hanLee Joo-seungJin-soo ByeonPeople tend to be intentionally provocative or extremely argumentative over petty matters on twitter. A woman who challenges men becomes targeted as a public enemy. Young men expose her identity and even show up on her doorstep. But what they find is MIN Ha-young, the woman who had hanged herself. What caused her death? Was it by suicide or murder? Socialphobia addresses the question of adopting a different identity on the Internet through the death of a woman. Two young men Ji-woong and Yong-min who were preparing for the police academy exam become involved in the case. What apparently looks like suicide is held under suspicion by the two as foul play. After posing the possibility of homicide, the young men return to the crime scene. However mystery itself does not seem to be the point of this film as it gradually exposes during the course of finding the truth to MIN Ha-young's death, her life as it really was and what the two men in pursuit of the real cause of her death wanted to prove.
- DirectorJung Sung HoJoon-Hwan JangStarsKim Tae-riYeo Jin-gooHa Jung-wooIn 1987 Korea under an oppressive military regime, the unlawful interrogation and death of a college student ignite ordinary citizens to fight for the truth and bring about justice.
- DirectorJeong-Yeol ChoiStarsJi SooSuhoRyu Jun-yeolFour friends on a trip rescue a woman who is being beaten by a man, only to be pursued by the police. One of them lapses into unconsciousness following an ensuing car accident and the other three are arrested on suspicion of murder.
- DirectorSeok-hoon LeeStarsHwang Jung-minJung WooJo Sung-haBased on true events, renowned mountaineer UM Hong-gil sets out on a mission to Everest to retrieve his late junior climber's body and faces the greatest challenge of his life.
- DirectorDong-hoon ChoiStarsKim Yoon-seokLee Jung-jaeKim Hye-suAfter a heist in South Korea, a gang of 5+1 fly to Hong Kong to look into a heist, in a Macau casino, of a $30M diamond, planned by someone unreliable. He brings in HK thieves as well. Can anyone be trusted?
- DirectorChang-min ChooStarsLee Byung-hunRyu Seung-ryongHan Hyo-jooA look-alike commoner is secretly hired to take the place of a poisoned king to save his country from falling into chaos.
- DirectorSung-hee JoStarsLee JehoonKim Seong-gyoonGo AraHONG Gildong is an infallible private detective with an exceptional memory and quirky personality. While chasing the only target he failed to find, he gets entangled in a much bigger conspiracy than he bargained for.