100 Most Popular Korean Movies
by IMDb-Editors | created - 22 Apr 2019 | updated - 22 Apr 2019 | PublicAccording to IMDb data as of April 2019, these are the most popular movies with the primary language of Korean on IMDb, per IMDb MOVIEmeter ranking. Visit the search results on IMDb for more.
- Instant Watch Options
- Genres
- Movies or TV
- IMDb Rating
- In Theaters
- Release Year
- Keywords
1. Burning (2018)
Not Rated | 148 min | Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Jong-su bumps into a girl who used to live in the same neighborhood, who asks him to look after her cat while she's on a trip to Africa. When back, she introduces Ben, a mysterious guy she met there, who confesses his secret hobby.
Director: Lee Chang-dong | Stars: Yoo Ah-in, Steven Yeun, Jeon Jong-seo, Kim Soo-Kyung
Votes: 76,231 | Gross: $0.72M
2. Oldboy (2003)
R | 120 min | Action, Drama, Mystery
After 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.
Director: Park Chan-wook | Stars: Choi Min-sik, Yoo Ji-tae, Kang Hye-jeong, Kim Byeong-Ok
Votes: 635,119 | Gross: $0.71M
3. The Handmaiden (2016)
Not Rated | 145 min | Drama, Romance, Thriller
A woman is hired as a handmaiden to a Japanese heiress, but secretly she is involved in a plot to defraud her.
Director: Park Chan-wook | Stars: Kim Min-hee, Ha Jung-woo, Cho Jin-woong, Moon So-ri
Votes: 172,368 | Gross: $2.01M
4. Train to Busan (2016)
Not Rated | 118 min | Action, Horror, Thriller
While a zombie virus breaks out in South Korea, passengers struggle to survive on the train from Seoul to Busan.
Director: Yeon Sang-ho | Stars: Gong Yoo, Jung Yu-mi, Ma Dong-seok, Kim Su-an
Votes: 258,238 | Gross: $2.13M
5. The Great Battle (2018)
Not Rated | 136 min | Action, Drama, History
A historical film about the siege of Ansi Fortress and the epic eighty-eight day battle that Yang Man-chun and his Goguryeo troops fought against 500,000 invading Tang dynasty men to defend it.
Director: Kwang-shik Kim | Stars: Nam Joo-hyuk, Zo In-sung, Park Sung-woong, Sung Dong-il
Votes: 6,072 | Gross: $0.47M
6. The Wailing (2016)
TV-MA | 156 min | Drama, Horror, Mystery
Soon 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.
Director: Na Hong-jin | Stars: Jun Kunimura, Hwang Jung-min, Kwak Do-won, Chun Woo-hee
Votes: 81,815
7. I Saw the Devil (2010)
Not Rated | 144 min | Action, Crime, Thriller
A secret agent exacts revenge on a serial killer through a series of captures and releases.
Director: Jee-woon Kim | Stars: Lee Byung-hun, Choi Min-sik, Jeon Gook-hwan, Chun Ho-jin
Votes: 146,072 | Gross: $0.13M
8. 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: 216,039 | Gross: $0.01M
9. Parasite (2019)
R | 132 min | Drama, Thriller
Greed and class discrimination threaten the newly-formed symbiotic relationship between the wealthy Park family and the destitute Kim clan.
Director: Bong Joon Ho | Stars: Song Kang-ho, Lee Sun-kyun, Cho Yeo-jeong, Choi Woo-sik
Votes: 957,534 | Gross: $53.37M
10. Peninsula (2020)
Not Rated | 116 min | Action, Horror, Thriller
A zombie virus has in the last four years spread to all South Korea. Four Koreans in Hong Kong sail through the blockade to Incheon for USD20,000,000 on a truck.
Director: Yeon Sang-ho | Stars: Koo Kyo-hwan, Lee Jung-hyun, Nazeeh Tarsha, Kwon Hae-hyo
Votes: 37,793 | Gross: $1.23M
11. The Witch: Part 1 - The Subversion (2018)
Not Rated | 125 min | Action, Mystery, Sci-Fi
A high school student with amnesia tries to uncover what has happened to her. All leading her into deeper troubles ultimately revealing a darkness she could not have imagined.
Director: Park Hoon-jung | Stars: Kim Da-mi, Jo Min-soo, Choi Woo-sik, Go Min-si
Votes: 17,491
12. The Host (2006)
R | 120 min | Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi
A monster emerges from Seoul's Han River and begins attacking people. One victim's loving family does what it can to rescue her from its clutches.
Director: Bong Joon Ho | Stars: Song Kang-ho, Byun Hee-Bong, Park Hae-il, Bae Doona
Votes: 132,609 | Gross: $2.20M
13. Thirst (2009)
R | 134 min | Drama, Fantasy, Horror
Through a failed medical experiment, a priest is stricken with vampirism and is forced to abandon his ascetic ways.
Director: Park Chan-wook | Stars: Song Kang-ho, Kim Ok-bin, Choi Hee-jin, Seo Dong-soo
Votes: 51,376 | Gross: $0.30M
14. The Spy Gone North (2018)
Not Rated | 137 min | Drama, Thriller
In the mid-1990s, a loyal South Korean secret agent is caught in a political vortex plotted by the ruling classes of North and South Korea.
Director: Yoon Jong-bin | Stars: Hwang Jung-min, Lee Sung-min, Cho Jin-woong, Ju Ji-hoon
Votes: 6,183 | Gross: $0.50M
15. A Tale of Two Sisters (2003)
R | 114 min | Drama, Horror, Mystery
After being institutionalized in a mental hospital, Su-mi reunites with her sister, Su-yeon, and they return to live at their country home. But strange events plague the house, leading to surprising revelations and a shocking conclusion.
Director: Jee-woon Kim | Stars: Lim Soo-jung, Yum Jung-ah, Kim Kap-su, Moon Geun-young
Votes: 68,239
16. The Villainess (2017)
Not Rated | 124 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A female assassin leaves a trail of bodies behind her as she seeks revenge.
Director: Jung Byung-gil | Stars: Kim Ok-bin, Shin Ha-kyun, Sung Jun, Kim Seo-hyeong
Votes: 16,775 | Gross: $0.03M
17. The Man from Nowhere (2010)
R | 119 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A 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.
Director: Lee Jeong-beom | Stars: Won Bin, Kim Sae-ron, Kim Tae-hoon, Kim Hee-won
Votes: 74,813 | Gross: $0.01M
18. Revenger (2018)
Not Rated | 101 min | Action, Crime, Thriller
A former police investigator decides to go to a prison island to revenge the brutal killings of his family.
Director: Lee Seung-won | Stars: Je-Heon Choi, Park Chul-min, Kim Dae-hyun, Park Hee-soon
Votes: 4,746
19. Rampant (2018)
Not Rated | 121 min | Action, Drama, History
Lee Chung is a Prince of Joseon, but he has been taken hostage to the Qing Dynasty.
Director: Kim Sung-hoon | Stars: Hyun Bin, Seo Ji-hye, Jang Dong-Gun, Kim Tae-hoon
Votes: 4,816 | Gross: $0.17M
20. 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: 72,704
21. Ayla: The Daughter of War (2017)
125 min | Biography, Drama, History
Sergeant Süleyman finds a little girl on a battlefield during the Korean War. He takes her and names her Ayla. Fifteen months later, Süleyman's brigade is told they will be returning to Turkey, and he is reluctant to leave her behind.
Director: Can Ulkay | Stars: Çetin Tekindor, Ismail Hacioglu, Lee Kyung-jin, Kim Seol
Votes: 43,770
22. Forgotten (2017)
TV-MA | 108 min | Crime, Mystery, Thriller
When his abducted brother returns seemingly a different man with no memory of the past 19 days, Jin-seok chases after the truth behind the kidnapping.
Director: Jang Hang-jun | Stars: Kang Ha-neul, Yeon Je Hyung, Kim Mu-yeol, Nam Myung-ryul
Votes: 45,927
23. Lady Vengeance (2005)
R | 115 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
After being wrongfully imprisoned for thirteen years and having her child taken away from her, a woman seeks revenge through increasingly brutal means.
Director: Park Chan-wook | Stars: Nam-mi Kang, Jeong-nam Choi, Hye-Sook Go, Bok-hwa Baek
Votes: 86,035 | Gross: $0.21M
24. Mother (2009)
R | 129 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A mother desperately searches for the killer who framed her son for a girl's horrific murder.
Director: Bong Joon Ho | Stars: Kim Hye-ja, Won Bin, Jin Goo, Yun Je-mun
Votes: 71,569 | Gross: $0.55M
25. Illang: The Wolf Brigade (2018)
TV-MA | 139 min | Action, Drama, Sci-Fi
Set in the distant future where both North and South Koreas agree to establish a joint government, which has been in preparation for a duration of 7 years, the plot focuses on political ... See full summary »
Director: Jee-woon Kim | Stars: Han Hyo-joo, Todd Haberkorn, Johnny Yong Bosch, Jeon Yeo-been
Votes: 5,790
26. V.I.P. (2017)
Not Rated | 128 min | Action, Crime, Thriller
The son of a high-ranking North Korean official is suspected of committing serial murders around the world, and is chased by South Korea, North Korea and Interpol.
Director: Park Hoon-jung | Stars: Jang Dong-Gun, Kim Myung-min, Lee Jong-suk, Park Hee-soon
Votes: 3,052
27. Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring (2003)
R | 103 min | Drama, Romance
A boy is raised by a Buddhist monk in an isolated floating temple where the years pass like the seasons.
Director: Kim Ki-duk | Stars: Kim Ki-duk, Oh Yeong-su, Jong-ho Kim, Kim Young-min
Votes: 86,772 | Gross: $2.38M
28. Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (2002)
R | 129 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A recently laid off factory worker kidnaps his former boss' friend's daughter, hoping to use the ransom money to pay for his sister's kidney transplant.
Director: Park Chan-wook | Stars: Song Kang-ho, Shin Ha-kyun, Bae Doona, Lim Ji-eun
Votes: 75,087 | Gross: $0.05M
29. Extreme Job (2019)
Not Rated | 111 min | Action, Comedy, Crime
A police undercover operation takes a delicious, unexpected turn.
Director: Lee Byeong-heon | Stars: Ryu Seung-ryong, Lee Hanee, Jin Seon-kyu, Lee Dong-hwi
Votes: 12,943 | Gross: $1.57M
30. Ode to My Father (2014)
Not Rated | 126 min | Drama, War
Amid the time of Korean War, a young boy's vow to take care of his family marked the beginning of a lifelong promise spanning 60 years.
Director: JK Youn | Stars: Hwang Jung-min, Yunjin Kim, Oh Dal-su, Jung Jin-young
Votes: 6,105 | Gross: $2.30M
31. The Vanished (2018)
101 min | Crime, Mystery, Thriller
The body of Yoon Seol Hee disappears at the National Institute of Scientific Investigation. Detective Woo Joong Shik seeks clues on her disappearance, while her husband Park Jin Han claims she is alive.
Director: Chang-hee Lee | Stars: Kwon Hae-hyo, Kim Kang-woo, Gong Min-jung, Kim Hee-ae
Votes: 1,601
32. 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: 50,466
33. 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: 3,776
34. Monstrum (2018)
Not Rated | 105 min | Action, Fantasy, Horror
Yoon Gyeom is a loyal subject of King Jung Jong of Joseon. He struggles to fight against a monster that threatens King Jung Jong's life and a group of people trying to depose King Jung Jong.
Director: Jong-ho Huh | Stars: Kim Myung-min, Kim In-kwon, Lee Hyeri, Choi Woo-sik
Votes: 2,742
35. The Negotiation (2018)
Not Rated | 114 min | Action, Crime, Thriller
An ace crisis negotiator faces off against a cold-blooded hostage taker. Over the course of 21 hours, she attempts to crack his unusually calm demeanor and force him to reveal his motivations.
Director: Jong-suk Lee | Stars: Hyun Bin, Son Ye-jin, Lee Joo-young, Jang Young-nam
Votes: 3,958 | Gross: $0.11M
36. The Yellow Sea (2010)
R | 136 min | Action, Crime, Drama
When the attempt to kill a professor goes wrong, a series of violent events are triggered which force a taxi driver to run for his life.
Director: Na Hong-jin | Stars: Lee Yoo-mi, Ha Jung-woo, Lee Hee-joon, Kim Yoon-seok
Votes: 22,943
37. The Age of Shadows (2016)
TV-MA | 140 min | Action, History, Thriller
Korean resistance fighters smuggle explosives to destroy facilities controlled by Japanese forces in this period action thriller.
Director: Jee-woon Kim | Stars: Lee Byung-hun, Gong Yoo, Song Kang-ho, Jeon Yeo-been
Votes: 11,032 | Gross: $0.54M
38. 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: 21,625
39. The Good the Bad the Weird (2008)
R | 130 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy
The 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.
Director: Jee-woon Kim | Stars: Song Kang-ho, Lee Byung-hun, Jung Woo-sung, Yun Je-mun
Votes: 37,917 | Gross: $0.13M
40. Miss Baek (2018)
Not Rated | 98 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A woman's past as a convict follows her everywhere and because of this she doesn't open up to others. But then she strikes up a friendship with a broken child who has suffered from domestic... See full summary »
Director: Ji-won Lee | Stars: Han Ji-min, Lee Hee-joon, Kim Si-Ah, Jun Suk-ho
Votes: 1,248
41. 3-Iron (2004)
R | 88 min | Crime, Drama, Romance
A transient young man breaks into empty homes to partake of the vacationing residents' lives for a few days.
Director: Kim Ki-duk | Stars: Lee Seung-yun, Jae Hee, Hyuk-ho Kwon, Joo Jin-mo
Votes: 58,243 | Gross: $0.24M
42. A Bittersweet Life (2005)
Not Rated | 119 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Things go wrong for a high ranking mobster when he doesn't follow his boss's orders.
Directors: Jung Doo Hong, Jee-woon Kim | Stars: Lee Byung-hun, Shin Min-a, Kim Yeong-cheol, Hwang Jung-min
Votes: 42,901
43. Steel Rain (2017)
TV-MA | 139 min | Action, Drama, Thriller
A 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.
Director: Woo-seok Yang | Stars: Jung Woo-sung, Kwak Do-won, Kim Kap-su, Kim Eui-sung
Votes: 6,542
44. New World (2013)
Not Rated | 135 min | Action, Crime, Drama