South Korean movies based on a true story
by klovanoleg | created - 2 weeks ago | updated - 13 hours ago | Public- Instant Watch Options
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1. My Sassy Girl (2001)
Not Rated | 137 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
A 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.
Director: Jae-young Kwak | Stars: Cha Tae-hyun, Jun Ji-hyun, In-mun Kim, Song Wok-suk
Votes: 50,503
2. Memories of Murder (2003)
Not Rated | 132 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
In 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.
Director: Bong Joon Ho | Stars: Song Kang-ho, Kim Sang-kyung, Kim Roe-ha, Song Jae-ho
Votes: 216,622 | Gross: $0.01M
3. Marathon (2005)
117 min | Biography, Drama, Sport
An autistic boy discovers he has a talent for running and with the help of the mother participates in a major marathon.
Director: Yoon-Chul Jung | Stars: Cho Seung-woo, Kim Mi-sook, Lee Ki-young, Baek Sung-hyun
Votes: 2,498
4. A Barefoot Dream (2010)
Not Rated | 121 min | Drama, Sport
After a series of pipe dream ventures go belly up, retired pro soccer player Kim Won-kang happens to visit East Timor, where he finds children playing the game barefoot on rocky pitches. ... See full summary »
Director: Tae-gyun Kim | Stars: Ko Chang-seok, Gabriel Da Costa, Junior Da Costa, Zefancy Diaz
Votes: 421
5. The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil (2019)
Not Rated | 109 min | Action, Crime, Thriller
A crime boss teams up with a cop to track down a serial killer.
Director: Lee Won-tae | Stars: Ma Dong-seok, Jeon Bae-soo, Kim Mu-yeol, Kim Sungkyu
Votes: 22,710 | Gross: $0.22M
6. The Admiral: Roaring Currents (2014)
Not Rated | 128 min | Action, Drama, History
Admiral 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.
Director: Han-min Kim | Stars: Choi Min-sik, Ryu Seung-ryong, Cho Jin-woong, Kim Myung-gon
Votes: 13,062 | Gross: $2.59M
7. Hansan: Rising Dragon (2022)
130 min | Action, Drama, History
Follow-up to 2014's The Admiral: Roaring Currents, which explores the historic Battle of Hansan Island.
Director: Han-min Kim | Stars: Park Hae-il, Byun Yo-han, Allen Chan, Kim Gu-taek
Votes: 1,976
8. Noryang: Deadly Sea (2023)
Not Rated | 152 min | Action, Biography, History
Winter of 1598, the story of Yi Sun-shin's last naval battle during the Japanese invasions of Korea that happened in the Noryang Strait.
Director: Han-min Kim | Stars: Jeong Jae-yeong, Yeo Jin-goo, Huh Joon-ho, Ahn Seong-bong
Votes: 349
9. A Man Who Was Superman (2008)
102 min | Comedy, Drama
A snobbish producer makes a documentary about the extraordinary behavior of her neighbor who believes himself to be Superman.
Director: Yoon-Chul Jung | Stars: Hwang Jung-min, Jun Ji-hyun, Kang Ae-shim, Gil-seung Bang
Votes: 2,225
10. The Chaser (2008)
Not Rated | 125 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A disgraced ex-policeman who runs a small ring of prostitutes finds himself in a race against time when one of his women goes missing.
Director: Na Hong-jin | Stars: Kim Yoon-seok, Ha Jung-woo, Seo Yeong-hie, Kim Yoo-jung
Votes: 72,801
11. 71: Into the Fire (2010)
Not Rated | 120 min | Action, Drama, War
The story of student-soldiers trying to protect a middle school during the early days of the Korean War.
Director: John H. Lee | Stars: Cha Seung-won, Kwon Sang-woo, Choi Seung-hyun, Kim Seung-woo
Votes: 5,814
12. Silenced (2011)
Not Rated | 125 min | Drama
Based on real events, this film depicts the story of a school for the hearing-impaired where young deaf students were sexually assaulted by the faculty members over a long period of time.
Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk | Stars: Gong Yoo, Jung Yu-mi, Kim Hyeon-soo, Kim Jee-young
Votes: 21,691
13. A Taxi Driver (2017)
Not Rated | 137 min | Action, Drama, History
A 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.
Director: Hun Jang | Stars: Song Kang-ho, Thomas Kretschmann, Yoo Hae-jin, Ryu Jun-Yeol
Votes: 31,273 | Gross: $1.53M
14. 1987: When the Day Comes (2017)
Not Rated | 129 min | Drama, History, Thriller
In 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.
Directors: Jung Sung Ho, Joon-Hwan Jang | Stars: Kim Tae-ri, Yeo Jin-goo, Ha Jung-woo, Gang Dong-won
Votes: 6,825
15. Assassination (2015)
Not Rated | 140 min | Action, Drama, Thriller
While Korea is occupied by the Japanese Army in 1933, the resistance plans to kill the Japanese Commander. But their plan is threatened by a traitor within their group and also the enemies' forces are hunting them down.
Director: Dong-hoon Choi | Stars: Jun Ji-hyun, Lee Jung-jae, Ha Jung-woo, Oh Dal-su
Votes: 7,942 | Gross: $1.90M
16. Cart (2014)
110 min | Drama
The employees of a big-box discount retailer band together when the contract workers are summarily laid off.
Director: Ji-young Boo | Stars: Yum Jung-ah, Moon Jeong-Hee, Kim Yeong-ae, Do Kyung-soo
Votes: 1,142
17. Hope (2013)
Not Rated | 122 min | Drama
Story 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.
Director: Lee Joon-ik | Stars: Lee Re, Sol Kyung-gu, Uhm Ji-won, Kim Hae-sook
Votes: 9,664
18. A Resistance (I) (2019)
105 min | Drama
Since the Japanese occupation, Koreans fought for independence at home and abroad. Started on March 1, 1919, the national protest held at least 2 months. It was called the-March 1st ... See full summary »
Director: Min-ho Cho | Stars: Ko Ah-sung, Jeong Ha-dam, Kim Ji-sung, Ryu Kyung-Soo
Votes: 193
19. The Outlaws (2017)
Not Rated | 121 min | Action, Crime, Thriller
Based 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.
Director: Yunsung Kang | Stars: Ma Dong-seok, Yoon Kyesang, Jo Jae-yoon, Choi Gwi-hwa
Votes: 12,649
20. The Roundup (2022)
106 min | Action, Adventure, Crime
Followed by Ma Seok-do, who heads to a foreign country to extradite a suspect. However, he discovers additional murder cases and learns about a killer who had committed crimes against tourists for many years.
Director: Lee Sang-yong | Stars: Ma Dong-seok, Son Suk-ku, Choi Gwi-hwa, Park Ji-hwan
Votes: 10,862 | Gross: $0.81M
21. Ransomed (2023)
Not Rated | 132 min | Action, Comedy, Drama
A young diplomat is assigned the task of carrying the ransom money to rescue an abducted diplomat in Lebanon, and a local taxi driver accidently gets involved in the mission.
Director: Kim Seong-hun | Stars: Burn Gorman, Ju Ji-hoon, Marcin Dorocinski, Ha Jung-woo
Votes: 816
22. The Point Men (2023)
13+ | 108 min | Action, Drama, Thriller
A Korean diplomat is dispatched to Afghanistan when a group of South Korean tourists is taken hostage by the Taliban. When all measures fail and one hostage is killed, he is forced to team up with a special agent to rescue the survivors.
Director: Soon-rye Yim | Stars: Hwang Jung-min, Hyun Bin, Kang Ki-young, Lee Seung-cheol
Votes: 1,524
23. 12.12: The Day (2023)
141 min | Action, Drama, History
Following the assassination of President Park in 1979, various military factions wrestle for control during a violent coup in this tense South Korean period action drama.
Director: Kim Sung-su | Stars: Hwang Jung-min, Jung Woo-sung, Lee Sung-min, Park Hae-joon
Votes: 2,068
24. As One (2012)
PG-13 | 127 min | Drama, Sport
"As One" is the cinematic retelling of the first ever post-war Unified Korea sports team, hastily formed to participate in the 41st World Table Tennis Championships in 1991. Following the ... See full summary »
Director: Hyun-Sung Moon | Stars: Ha Ji-Won, Bae Doona, Han Yeri, Choi Yoon-young
Votes: 1,322
25. Way Back Home (2013)
131 min | Drama
Jeong Yoon is a caring wife and mother and a sensitive woman who finds herself plunged into a legal ordeal thousands of miles from home. After years of planning, she and her husband Jong ... See full summary »
Director: Pang Eun-jin | Stars: Jeon Do-yeon, Go Soo, Claudette Lalí, Michèle Raingeval
Votes: 1,463
26. Dream (2023)
TV-14 | 125 min | Comedy, Drama, Sport
With hard work and dedication on lock, a group of homeless men trains to compete in the Homeless World Cup, despite a cranky coach.
Director: Lee Byeong-heon | Stars: Park Seo-joon, IU, Kim Jong-soo, Ko Chang-seok
Votes: 3,167
27. Rebound (II) (2023)
122 min | Drama, Sport
This true story retells the incredible tale of the 2012 National High School Basketball Championship, in which a new coach and six players from the weakest basketball team ran nonstop for eight days.
Director: Jang Hang-jun | Stars: Ahn Jae-hong, Jeong Jin-woon, Geon-joo Jung, Kim Jung-han
Votes: 367
28. Han Gong-ju (2013)
R | 112 min | Drama
Han Gong-Ju transfers to a new school to escape her past. It takes a long time for her troubled past to catch up with her but when it does, the revelation is devastating.
Director: Su-jin Lee | Stars: Chun Woo-hee, Jung In-sun, Kim So-young, Yeong-ran Lee
Votes: 2,724
29. The Attorney (2013)
Not Rated | 127 min | Drama
An ambitious tax attorney decides to represent an old friend in court.
Director: Woo-seok Yang | Stars: Song Kang-ho, Kwak Do-won, Im Si-wan, Oh Dal-su
Votes: 7,606 | Gross: $0.56M
30. Hwang Jin Yi (2007)
PG-13 | 142 min | Biography, Drama, History
The life of the famous gisaeng (female entertainer), Hwang Jin Yi, who lived in 16th century Korea.
Director: Yun-hyeon Jang | Stars: Song Hye-kyo, Yoo Ji-tae, Ryu Seung-ryong, Kim Bu-seon
Votes: 615
31. The Sound of a Flower (2015)
PG-13 | 109 min | Biography
During the Joseon Dynasty, lowborn Chae-sun challenges the rule that states only men allowed to sing while navigating devotion to her teacher and the demands of the king's father.
Director: Lee Jong-pil | Stars: Bae Suzy, Kim Nam-gil, Ryu Seung-ryong, Ahn Jae-hong
Votes: 306
32. The Last Princess (2016)
Not Rated | 127 min | Action, Biography, Drama
The last remaining princess of the Joseon Dynasty leaves her home for Japan, under Japanese colonial rule. Her childhood friend makes a vow to retrieve her and help her make her way back to Korea.
Director: Hur Jin-ho | Stars: Son Ye-jin, Park Hae-il, Ra Mi-ran, Jung Sang-hoon
Votes: 2,185 | Gross: $0.03M
33. Where the Truth Lies (2009)
100 min | Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Dramatization of a real homicide which remains unsolved as investigators cannot determine which of two youths is the culprit.
Director: Ki-Seon Hong | Stars: Natallia Bulynia, Lee Eung-jae, Oh Gwang-Rok, Peter Holman
Votes: 546
34. My Father (2007)
107 min | Drama
A U.S. soldier comes to Korea and tracks down his biological father in jail.
Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk | Stars: Daniel Henney, Martin Lord Cayce, Sarah Chang, Jeong-nam Choi
Votes: 203
35. Northern Limit Line (2015)
Not Rated | 130 min | Drama, War
The movies follows the incident known as the second battle of Yeonpyeong which happened in 2002.
Director: Kim Hak-soon | Stars: Kim Mu-yeol, Jin Goo, Lee Hyun-woo, Lee Chung-Ah
Votes: 1,340 | Gross: $0.32M
36. May 18 (2007)
PG-13 | 120 min | Drama, History
The story of events leading up to the 1980 Gwangju massacre in South Korea when thousands of students and protesters were killed by armed troops during an anti-government demonstration.
Director: Ji-hoon Kim | Stars: Kim Sang-kyung, Lee Yo-won, Ahn Sung-ki, Kwon Tae-won
Votes: 1,353
37. Jiseul (2012)
108 min | Drama, History, War
In 1950's, a populace of a South Korean island rebels against police brutality. The protesters are labeled as communists and the army is dispatched. One small village will be hit especially hard that day. Based on historical events.
Director: Meul O | Stars: Min-chul Sung, Jung-won Yang, Young-soon Oh, Suk-bum Moon
Votes: 303
38. Children... (2011)
Not Rated | 132 min | Mystery, Thriller
The 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 ... See full summary »
Director: Kyu-maan Lee | Stars: Park Yong-woo, Ryu Seung-ryong, Sung Dong-il, Sung Ji-ru
Votes: 2,955
39. Road to Boston (2023)
113 min | Biography, Drama, Sport
Tale of the Korean athletes who ran the 1947 Boston International Marathon, the first international marathon held since World War II.
Director: Kang Je-kyu | Stars: Ha Jung-woo, Bae Sung-woo, Im Si-wan, Kim Sang-ho
Votes: 434
40. The Himalayas (2015)
124 min | Adventure, Biography, Drama
Based 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.
Director: Seok-hoon Lee | Stars: Hwang Jung-min, Jung Woo, Jo Sung-ha, Lee Chae-yun
Votes: 1,255 | Gross: $0.70M
41. The Drug King (2018)
Not Rated | 139 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Set in Busan, South Korea during the 1970s, Lee Doo-sam builds an empire as a drug smuggler in the Busan underworld, while public prosecutor Kim In-goo attempts to take down Lee Doo-sam.
Director: Min-ho Woo | Stars: Song Kang-ho, Jo Jung-Suk, Bae Doona, Jeon Ah-hee
Votes: 3,784
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