Best of South Korea: Action/Adventure Movies
by d_smojver | created - 30 Nov 2012 | updated - 2 months ago | PublicSouth Koreans have pretty good action movies! In most cases, they are not as good or innovative as their thrillers or romances, but they are good enough to enjoy.
I put here some SF/action movies (Snowpiercer, Space Sweepers, Natural City), superhero movies (Woochi) and disaster films (Flu, The Tower, Tidal Wave).
My other lists:
Best of South Korea: Anime
Best of South Korea: Comedies
Best of South Korea: Crime Movies/Thrillers
Best of South Korea: Drama Movies
Best of South Korea: Horror Movies
Best of South Korea: Romance Movies
Best of South Korea: War/Military Movies
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1. Snowpiercer (2013)
R | 126 min | Action, Drama, Sci-Fi
In a future where a failed climate change experiment has killed all life except for the survivors who boarded the Snowpiercer (a train that travels around the globe), a new class system emerges.
Director: Bong Joon Ho | Stars: Chris Evans, Jamie Bell, Tilda Swinton, Ed Harris
Votes: 388,862 | Gross: $4.56M
2. 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: 74,826 | Gross: $0.01M
3. 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: 37,927 | Gross: $0.13M
4. Okja (2017)
TV-MA | 120 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
A young girl risks everything to prevent a powerful, multinational company from kidnapping her best friend - a fascinating beast named Okja.
Director: Bong Joon Ho | Stars: Tilda Swinton, Paul Dano, Ahn Seo-hyun, Jake Gyllenhaal
Votes: 132,100
5. The Warrior (2001)
R | 158 min | Action, Drama, History
1375. Nine Koryo warriors, envoys exiled by Imperial China, battle to protect a Chinese Ming Princess from Mongolian troops.
Director: Kim Sung-su | Stars: Jung Woo-sung, Ahn Sung-ki, Ju Jin-mo, Ziyi Zhang
Votes: 11,262
6. 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: 132,666 | Gross: $2.20M
7. Space Sweepers (2021)
TV-MA | 136 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Set in the year 2092 and follows the crew of a space junk collector ship called The Victory. When they discover a humanoid robot named Dorothy that's known to be a weapon of mass destruction, they get involved in a risky business deal.
Director: Sung-hee Jo | Stars: Song Joong-ki, Kim Tae-ri, Jin Seon-kyu, Yoo Hae-jin
Votes: 28,687
8. Along With the Gods: The Two Worlds (2017)
Not Rated | 139 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
After a heroic death, a firefighter navigates the afterlife with the help of three guides.
Director: Yong-hwa Kim | Stars: Ha Jung-woo, Cha Tae-hyun, Ju Ji-hoon, Kim Hyang-gi
Votes: 19,253 | Gross: $1.91M
9. Once Upon a Time in High School: The Spirit of Jeet Kune Do (2004)
Not Rated | 116 min | Action, Drama, History
By "Fist of Fury", Kim Hyun-Soo (Sang-Woo Kwone) addicted to Bruce Lee. Year 1978. Hyun-Soo moved to KangNam, Seoul. Hyun-Soo transferred to JungMoon High, Maljuk Street, Kangnam, Seoul. He... See full summary »
Director: Ha Yoo | Stars: Kwon Sang-woo, Lee Jung-Jin, Han Ga-in, Park Hyo-joon
Votes: 2,762
10. A Dirty Carnival (2006)
Not Rated | 140 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A small time thug collecting debts for the local triad is torn between his criminal aspirations and his devotion to family.
Director: Ha Yoo | Stars: Zo In-sung, Chun Ho-jin, Min Nam-koong, Lee Bo-young
Votes: 9,237
11. Sunflower (2006)
Not Rated | 117 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Released 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.
Director: Seok-beom Kang | Stars: Kim Byeong-Ok, Ji Dae-han, Park Eun-hye, Jeong Eun-pyo
Votes: 2,475
12. War of the Arrows (2011)
R | 122 min | Action, Adventure
A skilled Korean archer goes up against the mighty force of Manchus with the sole purpose of rescuing his kidnapped sister.
Director: Han-min Kim | Stars: Park Hae-il, Ryu Seung-ryong, Kim Mu-yeol, Moon Chae-won
Votes: 12,798 | Gross: $0.25M
13. The Tiger (2015)
Not Rated | 139 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
While the Kingdom of Korea is under occupation by the Japanese, an old and experienced hunter is challenged by the hunt of the last tiger.
Director: Park Hoon-jung | Stars: Hitanshu Barik, Kim Hong-pa, Park In-Soo, Jung Ji-so
Votes: 6,565
14. 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: 7,932 | Gross: $1.90M
15. Confession of Murder (2012)
Not Rated | 119 min | Action, Crime, Thriller
Lee 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.
Director: Jung Byung-gil | Stars: Jeong Jae-yeong, Park Shi-hoo, Jung Hae-kyun, Kim Yeong-ae
Votes: 11,681
16. Public Enemy (2002)
Not Rated | 138 min | Action, Comedy
A detective plays cat-and-mouse with a banker who brutally murdered his own parents.
Director: Kang Woo-suk | Stars: Sol Kyung-gu, Lee Sung-jae, Kang Shin-il, Kim Jeong-hak
Votes: 2,370
17. No Mercy for the Rude (2006)
121 min | Action, Comedy, Crime
A mute hit-man vows to kill only the rude, and save up enough money for tongue surgery.
Director: Cheol-hie Park | Stars: Shin Ha-kyun, Yun Ji-hye, Kim Min-joon, Kim Byeong-Ok
Votes: 1,760
18. 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: 17,511
19. Along With the Gods: The Last 49 Days (2018)
Not Rated | 142 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
In the afterlife, one guardian helps a man through his trials, while his two colleagues help a former guardian on earth.
Director: Yong-hwa Kim | Stars: Ha Jung-woo, Ju Ji-hoon, Kim Hyang-gi, Ma Dong-seok
Votes: 9,112 | Gross: $1.20M
20. Cold Eyes (2013)
Not Rated | 119 min | Action, Crime, Thriller
A high-tech police surveillance team attempts to take down a gang of ruthless bank robbers.
Directors: Kim Byung-seo, Ui-seok Jo | Stars: Sol Kyung-gu, Jung Woo-sung, Han Hyo-joo, Lee Jun-ho
Votes: 8,431
21. The Battleship Island (2017)
Not Rated | 132 min | Action, Drama, History
During the Japanese colonial era, roughly 400 Korean people, who were forced onto Battleship Island ("Hashima Island") to mine for coal, attempt to a dramatic escape.
Director: Ryu Seung-wan | Stars: Hwang Jung-min, So Ji-seob, Song Joong-ki, Lee Jung-hyun
Votes: 8,484
22. Kingdom: Ashin of the North (2021 TV Movie)
TV-MA | 92 min | Action, Drama, Fantasy
Tragedy, betrayal and a mysterious discovery fuel a woman's vengeance for the loss of her tribe and family in this special episode of "Kingdom."
Director: Kim Seong-hun | Stars: Jun Ji-hyun, Kim Si-Ah, Park Byeong-eun, Koo Kyo-hwan
Votes: 13,317
23. Veteran (2015)
Not Rated | 123 min | Action, Comedy, Crime
A honest cop seeks justice for a common man against all odds. A rich boy seeks revenge on the cop.
Director: Ryu Seung-wan | Stars: Hwang Jung-min, Yoo Ah-in, Yoo Hae-jin, Oh Dal-su
Votes: 7,752 | Gross: $1.20M
24. Hwayi: A Monster Boy (2013)
Not Rated | 126 min | Action, Crime, Thriller
A boy with five fathers who is attached to the criminal underworld. A sinister past is about to be revealed as he is forced to join the killing spree.
Director: Joon-Hwan Jang | Stars: Kim Yoon-seok, Yeo Jin-goo, Cho Jin-woong, Jang Hyun-sung
Votes: 5,407
25. Rough Cut (2008)
Not Rated | 113 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A gangster who wants to be an actor; an actor more gangster than anything. Here their paths and lives begin to cross.
Director: Hun Jang | Stars: So Ji-seob, Ko Chang-seok, Jang Hie-jin, Kang Ji-hwan
Votes: 2,998
26. The Thieves (2012)
Not Rated | 135 min | Action, Comedy, Crime
After 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?
Director: Dong-hoon Choi | Stars: Kim Yoon-seok, Lee Jung-jae, Kim Hye-su, Jun Ji-hyun
Votes: 11,542 | Gross: $0.69M
27. The Swordsman (2020)
TV-14 | 100 min | Action, Drama, History
Three different swordsmen -- a swordsman who is going blind, the best swordsman in Joseon Dynasty, and the best swordsman in Qing Dynasty who aspires to be the best even in the Joseon Dynasty -- meet each other for their own reasons.
Director: Jae-Hoon Choi | Stars: Jang Hyuk, Kim Hyeon-soo, Joe Taslim, Jeong Man-sik
Votes: 5,417
28. 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: 16,783 | Gross: $0.03M
29. The Berlin File (2013)
PG-13 | 120 min | Action, Thriller
Jong-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.
Director: Ryu Seung-wan | Stars: Ha Jung-woo, Han Suk-kyu, Ryu Seung-beom, Jun Ji-hyun
Votes: 7,631 | Gross: $0.67M
30. Battle of the Warriors (2006)
R | 133 min | Action, Drama, War
Story centers on a battle during China's Warring States Period, a series of civil wars, which spanned from the 5th to the 3rd century B.C. Based on a popular Japanese manga, which was in turn based a Japanese novel inspired by Warring States history in China.
Director: Chi Leung 'Jacob' Cheung | Stars: Andy Lau, Ahn Sung-ki, Zhiwen Wang, Bingbing Fan
Votes: 4,405
31. Hunt (2022)
Not Rated | 131 min | Action, Drama, Mystery
The International Unit and The Domestic Unit of the Korean Spy Agency are tasked with the mission of uncovering a North Korean Spy known as Donglim who is deeply embedded within their agency.
Director: Lee Jung-jae | Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Ju Ji-hoon, Jung Woo-sung, Go Yoon-Jung
Votes: 5,452
32. Concrete Utopia (2023)
Not Rated | 130 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Survivors from a massive earthquake struggle for a new life in Seoul.
Director: Tae-hwa Eom | Stars: Park Seo-joon, Lee Byung-hun, Park Bo-young, Kim Sun-young
Votes: 5,172
33. Arahan (2004)
Not Rated | 114 min | Action, Comedy, Fantasy
As a dorky cop falls in with five Tao masters who admire his c'hi, an ancient foe comes looking for them all.
Director: Ryu Seung-wan | Stars: Ryu Seung-beom, Yoon So-yi, Ahn Sung-ki, Doo-hong Jung
Votes: 4,008
34. Jeon Woochi (2009)
Not Rated | 136 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy
Jeon Woo-chi, an undisciplined womanizing Taoist from the Joseon era, ends up in present-day Korea causing mayhem with his knack for magic.
Director: Dong-hoon Choi | Stars: Gang Dong-won, Lim Soo-jung, Kim Yoon-seok, Yoo Hae-jin
Votes: 3,437
35. The City of Violence (2006)
92 min | Action, Crime, Thriller
After their childhood friend is murdered, a two-man martial arts army beats a path to the perp.
Director: Ryu Seung-wan | Stars: Ryu Seung-wan, Lee Beom-su, Kim Byeong-Ok, Baek Dong-hyeon
Votes: 4,772
36. 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: 8,575 | Gross: $0.10M
37. The Pirates (2014)
Not Rated | 130 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy
A band of pirates and a group of bandits fight to catch a gray whale that has swallowed a royal stamp.
Director: Seok-hoon Lee | Stars: Kim Nam-gil, Son Ye-jin, Yoo Hae-jin, Kim Won-hae
Votes: 4,572 | Gross: $0.38M
38. Shadowless Sword (2005)
R | 117 min | Action, Adventure, History
So-ha, a deadly female warrior, is sent to find a exiled prince after the Killer Blade Army killed the royal family.
Director: Young-jun Kim | Stars: Shin Hyeon-jun, Yoon So-yi, Lee Seo-jin, Ki-yong Lee
Votes: 2,968
39. Special Delivery (2022)
109 min | Action, Crime, Thriller
"I deliver everything that the post office service does not handle." Eun-ha, who is a normal junkyard employee, secretly works as a delivery clerk that deals with unusual delivery requests.
Director: Dae-min Park | Stars: Park So-dam, Park Dae-Won, Heo Dong-won, Kim Eui-sung
Votes: 2,971
40. 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, Heo Sung-tae
Votes: 4,818 | Gross: $0.17M
41. Alienoid (2022)
Not Rated | 142 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
The door of time opens between the swordsman who wants to seize the legendary divine sword at the end of the Goryeo Dynasty and those who chase after an alien prisoner imprisoned in a human body in 2022.
Director: Dong-hoon Choi | Stars: Yoon Byung-hee, Kim Chan-hyung, Kim Dae-myung, Shim Dal-gi
Votes: 5,245
42. My Wife Is a Gangster (2001)
107 min | Action, Comedy, Crime
The story of how Eun-jin (Eun-kyung Shin) became a legend in the South Korean underworld by defeating an army of gangsters.
Director: Jin-gyu Cho | Stars: Shin Eun-kyung, Ahn Jae-mo, Kim In-kwon, Jang Se-jin
Votes: 3,496
43. Ashfall (2019)
TV-14 | 130 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Stagnant since 1903, at an elevation of 2,744 m, a volcano erupts on the mythical and majestic Baekdu Mountain.
Directors: Kim Byung-seo, Lee Hae-jun | Stars: Lee Byung-hun, Ha Jung-woo, Jeon Hye-jin, Ma Dong-seok
Votes: 5,979